No Escape
by FoxInBox aka FIB
Summary: When Darren is captured by wizards as a new study for the students of Hogwarts, he finds that it is impossible to escape. His only hope now is that Mr. Crepsley will come to rescue him. But with a vampire, you can never really tell... T cuz im paranoid!
1. Chapter 1

**Howdy there! It is me, FIB! Well, this is my first ever fanfic. I've been working on it for a while, but until recently, I havn't been able to post it. I really hope you like it! If anybody seems OOC or whatever, please tell me and I will do my best to correct it. Just remember to give me a review! Even if it is a flame. They keep me motivated. So now, go and read!**

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

**Sounds**

I sat back, staring down at the lifeless body of my friend, Sam. In the background I heard Mr. Crepsley saying something that I couldn't quite focus on. I could feel the power, after so long without human blood, it was both exhilarating and sickening. I had just drained him. He had been dying, his insides ripped out by the Wolf Man. He had saved my life at the price of his own.

I stood up and walked away. I felt numb all over and I didn't even bother to wipe the blood from my mouth or notice my red-stained shirt. Maybe if I hadn't been so distracted and sick to my stomach, and high off the blood, I would have noticed the extra eyes that were watching me. Or maybe not.

As soon as I was out of sight of Mr. Crepsley, I began to run as fast as my legs could carry me. I wanted to escape from everything, even if it was only for a few minutes. When I stopped, I felt a little bit better. I even smiled a little bit through the tears that prickled in my eyes when I realized Iwas having a craving for pickled onions. I was glad that half vampires like myself could eat real human food. Then I heard it; a crackling of branches, and quiet footsteps. I opened my mouth to tell whoever it was (probably Evra or one of the Little People, since I knew Mr. Crepsley would never make that much noise) to go away. Before I could say anything there were several loud cries of "STUPIFY!" and red lights were shot at me.

I dodged them all, until one hit me in the back. I turned, snarling, and began to run. I didn't get far. I was beginning to lose feeling in my limbs, and my whole body was feeling very heavy. It went like this for a few moments, and then my legs just gave out. I tried, but I couldn't go on, and collapsed. My eyes were closed, and I couldn't move, but I was still conscious. I heard the sound of feet shuffling towards me.

"He looks to be nothing more than a boy!" came a woman's shaking, shocked voice.

"That may be so Minerva, but you did see what he did to that young boy. The blood is proof enough." A man's voice answered her in a quiet, snide tone. If I could have shuddered, I would have.

"Lemme check 'im." A booming voice said.

I felt enormous but gentle hands touch me. They lifted me up and I felt them take my hands. More specifically, my fingertips.

"_Oh no." _I thought. On my fingertips were ten separate, tiny scars from the exchanging of blood that had turned me into a half vampire. It was the easiest way to identify someone like me. _"Do they know?" _I wondered briefly. _"Of course they know, stupid! Why else would they be checking there?" _I answered myself. I was beginning to feel kind of dizzy, and my thoughts were beginning to not make any sense.

"Yep. He's definantly one of 'em." Said that booming, and now overly excited, voice.

"Hm. I'm sure the Ministry will be just thrilled to hear of this. It is, after all, the first _live _vampire they've acquired." Said the snide voiced man.

"Perhaps, but I'm sure Hagrid would much prefer to show his students the creature before it is handed over to the ministry to study. It _was _apart of their…shall we say, agreement." The woman (who, I was pretty sure, was called Minerva) said sternly. The other was silent, and I heard a grunt of agreement from the other man. I felt myself lifted up, suspended from nothingness. In the far distance, I smelt a familiar scent.

"Cre…ps…ley." I croaked out, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear me, but still hoping beyond all hope that he would. Then I felt a tight squeezing sensation, like being forced through a tiny tube or a straw of some sort. Then I felt nothing more.


	2. Chapter 2

'**Sounds'**

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

Harry Potter Point of View

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger boarded the Hogwarts Express and leaned out the window, waving good bye to Ron's parents.

"C'mon, you two. Let's go find a compartment." Hermione said as they pulled out of the station.

"I need to talk to you in private." Harry muttered to his friends. They set off down the corridor in search of an empty compartment. They were all full except for one at the very end, in which a man was fast asleep at the window. The man was wearing tattered robes, and was using a ragged, patched coat as a blanket.

"Who's that?" questioned Ron, eyeing the stranger warily.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." Hermione answered him quietly.

"How'd you know that?" Ron squeaked, his eyes bugging out of his head in wonder at his friend.

"It's on his suitcase, Ronald." Hermione sighed, indicating the baggage in the carrier above the man's head.

"Oh. Well, what did you want to tell us, Harry?"

Harry glanced at the professor, and then slid the door shut. He told his best friends everything that Mr. Weasley had told him. About how Serious Black had escaped from Azkaban to kill Harry, and Mr. Weasley's request for Harry to not go looking for trouble. When he'd finished Ron and Hermione just stared at him, their mouths hanging open. They seemed unable to get anything intelligent to form, stating only the obvious. They were taking the news worse than he had expected. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more scared of Black than Harry.

Rain began outside, growing steadily stronger as the train drew closer to Hogwarts. All of a sudden, the lights flickered out and the train came to a sudden, screeching halt, almost throwing its passengers to the ground.

"What's going on?" Screeched Ron, looking nervously out the window as it began to frost over. Everything outside was dark.

"I dunno. Maybe…something's wrong with the engine." Harry answered him. It sounded more like a question though.

The temperature was slowly dropping and the Golden Trio watched as their own breaths became visible in the frigid air. Harry felt something like despair rising inside of him, and from Hermione's lap Crookshanks hissed in fear and loathing. The coldness increased as well as the feeling of dread as a figure appeared outside the door. In the dimness, Harry saw the figure he identified as Professor Lupin rise and face the door. He took a step towards it, but before he could reach it the door slid slowly opened.

Harry's breath caught in his throat when he saw the thing that lurked outside the door. It was huge, seeming to float in midair. Its whole body was covered by a cloak, and its face was hidden in the shadows of its hood. Harry's eyes traveled downwards and what he saw made him feel sick to his stomach. The creature had a single hand sticking out from under the cloak, and it was a shriveled, dead looking thing. It was grey and covered in scabs, glistening wetly in the dim light. As soon as the thing felt Harry's eyes, it retracted its hand back to the confines of its dark cloak. And then it drew a long, slow, rattling breath.

An intense cold swept over them all. It chilled Harry to the very bone, and even past that, to the marrow, to the inside of his heart; his soul. Professor Lupin's face went pale, visible through the dark. Harry heard Hermione utter a little cry and Ron's whimpers. His eyes rolled up to the back of his head. He felt like he was drowning in the freezing cold. Somewhere far away he heard the terrified, pleading screams of a woman. Then the darkness consumed him and he knew no more.

Darren Shan Point of View

When I woke up it was dark. Of course that raised the question of whether it was the same night or a different one.

_"How long was I out?" _I wondered around the headache that was rearing its ugly head right behind my eyes. From the slight hunger pains, I'd have guessed a few days; maybe a week! But my bloodlust wasn't strong enough for me having gone that length of time without sating it.

I pushed myself up so that I was resting on my elbow. I looked around, and found myself in some sort of a clearing. The ground was grassy and slightly damp, like a regular meadow, but surrounding it was some sort of metal tent. For a second, I wondered if I was somehow back at the _Cirque._

"Mr. Crepsley!" I called out. My voice echoed back to me, and I winced at how young I sounded. Then I remembered that there were no tents like this at the _Cirque._ I was on my feet, quicker than the human eye could track. I examined the cage-as I now realized it was- carefully looking for an escape.

There were bars that went all the way around the cage from around my waist height and stretched all the way up to the slanted ceiling. The door was made completely of bars. I grinned grimly; with my new strength I could easily escape by simply snapping or bending the metal bars. I walked forward and wrapped my hands around the cool metal. Instantly I drew back, hissing. I looked down at my now-burnt hands, and felt a strange feeling of fear; _I couldn't escape._ I looked through the bars as I gently licked my wounds to heal them, and froze when I saw what lay outside my cage.

The place was enormous. There were rolling hills on one side and a dark forest on the other. There was also an enormous, glassy lake. Those weren't the most impressive things though. What caught my eyes and probably made me gasp out loud was the castle. It was huge, and unlike anything I'd ever seen before. There were enormous towers and stained glass windows. It reflected on the lake and had a feel of power and magic about it. I knew immediately that the stones had known and seen more than even Mr. Crepsley had. I was so awe struck at first that I didn't notice the banner that was in front of the door. It seemed to be translucent because the writing was backwards from my point of view. I read it slowly, to make sure I had it right.

Vampire- Subspecies type 1. Caution: Very dangerous!

I wasn't sure what subspecies type 1 meant, but it was obvious they knew what I was. Well, half of it anyways. I grinned slightly. If they really thought I was the kind of vampire they had seen in the old movies, they were dead wrong. Of course, I had too, until Crepsley had corrected me. It would be fun, though, to _pretend_ to be one. If they wanted to believe that, then I would let them.

Giving up on the bars (for now), I retreated towards the middle and as far away from the vampire-burning bars as I could get. Not too far away, I heard the sound of a train whistle. Soon after I could smell and hear a bunch of warm, full-of-blood humans. I shuddered at my thoughts, and felt the tears prickling in my eyes as I realized why my blood lust wasn't really bothering me. I felt bile rising in my throat, so I sat down and pulled my knees up to my chest. I knew and understood that all I could do at this point was sit and wait, and try to come up with an escape plan. After a few fruitless moments, I heaved a sigh and instead went to staring out the bars of the cage. I wondered vaguely whether I would be rescued. If Crepsley would save me. I wasn't so sure; he had said many times before that I was so easy to replace, and that I really meant nothing to him. I was, after all, just a half-vampire assistant.

I realized that I was getting all depressed and moody, so I tried my best to quickly snap out of it. I focused on the noises that were now coming from the castle. There was a lot of chattering. So much in fact, that it made my head start to hurt. Then a sudden silence put an abrupt stop to the pointless buzzing of humans.

_"What's going on?" _I wondered, straining my ears to hear any small noises that might be made. Suddenly, a hoarse voice sounded. It startled me so much that I jumped. The voice was deafening compared to the previous and absolute quiet. What was worse though was that whoever had broken the silence had begun to _sing. _

I couldn't quite make out the words, but as it came to an end I felt a shudder go up my spine and a feeling of power permeated the very air. The only word that came to mind was 'magic'. I shook my head quickly to dispel the thought, and then focused again on the sounds from inside. A stern voice spoke, but I couldn't make out what was being said. The voice seemed strangely familiar… I almost had it, but lost it when the singing voice from before yelled out "_**Slytherine!" **_

I was confused. 'Slither in'? Was that some sort of a greeting or invitation? A loud commotion of cheering and clapping interrupted my thoughts, but soon quieted down. The next thing that was yelled had me even more confused. _**"Hufflepuff!" **_I groaned.

"What the heck is a Huffle?" I wondered aloud. "And _why _does it need a puff?"

It went on like that for quite a while. The other two seemingly-random things called out were 'raven claw', and then something about a griffin's door. Overall, I figured that these people-whoever they were- must be entirely insane. It would explain why I was currently residing in a cage by a giant castle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! Before anything else, I would like to send a big old "THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH!" to all those who commented and favorite this story. So this chapter is dedicated to you guys. Hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter or Cirque Du Freak. If I did, then they would've met up a **_**looooong **_**time ago.**

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

Harry Potter Point of View

"We missed the sorting!" Hermione said, sounding disappointed. Harry didn't really mind though. His mind was a bit preoccupied by his thoughts of what had happened on the train. He was glad that Madame Pomphry (whom he had just gotten back from seeing) hadn't kept him over night. Spotting Ron's bright red hair, Harry and Hermione made their way towards him and took seats on either side of him.

"What was that about?" he muttered to Harry, eyes curious but not overly so. Harry began to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster rose from his seat and Harry broke off.

Professor Dumbledore was very old, but always seemed to give off an aura of great energy. He had incredibly long silver hair and beard, a crooked nose, and twinkling blue eyes behind a pair of half-moon spectacles. The headmaster was often described as the greatest wizard of the age. Dumbledore was one of those people that you just couldn't help but trust, and Harry deeply respected him. As Harry watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time since he had encountered the Dementor on the train.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore cried happily, spreading his arms wide in greeting. "Now, I have a few things to say to you all before we become befuddled by this excellent feast." Suddenly his voice was very serious. The headmaster cleared his throat before continuing. "As you all are probably aware after the search of the Hogwarts Express, our beloved school is going to be playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on official Ministry business.

He paused, looking somehow older than before, and Harry vaguely recalled Mr. Weasley mentioning something about Dumbledore not being happy about the Dementors guarding Hogwarts.

"They will be stationed at every entrance onto the grounds. While they are with us, I must stress that no student is to leave the grounds without permission. Dementors are not to be easily fooled by tricks or disguises, or even invisibility cloaks." His gaze seemed to linger on the Gryffindor table longer than the others. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving or to understand pleading or mercy. I urge you all; give them no reason to harm you."

A silence fell over the Great Hall as the students as the students soaked all this information up.

"And now onto a happier note! This year, I would like you all to welcome two new teachers. Professor Lupin, who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts-" the twinkle was back in Dumbledore's eyes as he waited for the spattering of applause to die down. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the three who clapped hardest. Harry noticed a strange look on Snape's face. It was there and gone in a flash, but he saw it. It was a look of pure, unadulterated loathing.

"And this year, we have a new Care of Magical Creatures. I am delighted to say that this position will be filled by none other than our very own Rubeus Hagrid."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned by the announcement. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Harry saw Hagrid, who was bright red in the face, wipe away a few tears of joy, his grin hidden by the tangle of his black beard.

He was the last to stop clapping, then Dumbledore said "One last thing; on the grounds there is currently a large metal cage. I suggest it is avoided unless one is accompanied by a teacher. Well, I believe that is everything of importance. Let the feast begin!"

As food filled the golden platters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a look. Although he didn't often go looking for trouble, this news of a cage on the grounds _did _peak Harry's interest. With a nod and a grin, it was silently decided between Ron and Harry; they would definitely check it out. Hermione groaned and rolled her eyes, but they knew she would come as well. She would, after all, want to know what it was, if only so that she could go and research it in the library.

Darren Shan Point of View

I was bored. I knew that I should be scared, or angry, or anxious. But I wasn't. Everything was quiet and dark, and the lights from the castles were pinpricks in the dark and were slowly flickering out, a few at a time.

_"This sucks. I can't hunt or even look at the stars." _I thought mournfully to myself. I groaned and rolled over onto my side, away from the castle. Instead, I looked to the forest. I wondered what kind of creatures resided inside of it…. I felt stupid when a shudder ran up my spine at the thought. And even more so when I let out a little shriek as someone stepped out from the shadows of the trees.

_I'm SO stupid! What would Crepsley think of me if he could see me now." _I thought with a bit of a hoarse chuckle at the image of my mentor's face. Then I stood and turned to the one who'd stepped from the forest. I felt my jaw drop slightly in surprise as I saw what it was.

If I'd had human vision, I would probably have thought it a very tall man. However, I had a vampire's night vision, and I could see that that wasn't exactly the case. It was a centaur. He was tall and regal looking, with a beautiful chestnut flank and a bow and quivers slung over his shoulder. He stared at me, and I back at him. Then I broke the silence.

"Why don't they have you locked up in a cage?"

Mr. Crepsley did always say I asked too many questions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello all! : ) Well, first thing I want to say is that everyone's comments and favoriting and review-wanting have made me SO freaking happy! I really hope I'm not disappointing anybody. If I am, please tell me so that I can work on getting better. Next thing is to say that I wasn't really sure how this chapter was gonna turn out. I don't know if I like it or not, but then again, I'm very critical of my own work. So please, tell me honestly what you think of it! And last of all, I want to thank everyone who has commented! This chapter goes to you! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in here. Well, except for my own little OC. : ) Yay.**

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

Darren Shan Point of View

Mr. Crepsley always said that my curiosity would get me in trouble one day. In some ways, he was probably correct. Then again, Mr. Crepsley wasn't _always_ right.

The centaur stared at me for a long moment, his face contemplative. Then, very calmly, he reached behind him, drew an arrow from its quiver, knocked it, and fired. I let out an undignified yelp as it **whirred **through the air and embedded itself in the ground by my foot.

"What the heck was that for?" I shrieked.

"Do not disgrace my kind by even _thinking_ humans would have the gull to do such an impertinent thing." He growled in a very un-horse like way. It would have been more frightening if his voice hadn't cracked half way through his statement.

"Um…sorry." I said uncertainly. The centaur trotted a little closer to my cage, and I got a clear view of him for the first time. I was a little surprised. Although he was extremely tall thanks to his horse half, he wasn't really that much older than me. Probably about Evra's age. His hair was longish and the same color as his horse half, and his skin was olive colored. His ears were slightly pointed (which made me grin), and his eyes angled upward. It was too dark to tell what color they were.

I eyed the bow he had at his side warily before saying "You're a really good shot."

The centaur boy looked a bit surprised. "You think?" he asked, a small (but proud) smile growing on his face.

"Definitely." I answered, examining the arrow and wondering if maybe I could use it to get out of my cage. "What's your name?" I questioned him, shifting my attention to the centaur.

"Oh. Um…Andiamus." He mumbled, looking a bit embarrassed.

I stumbled over the name for a bit. Judging from the look on his face, I knew I had butchered it completely. After a few more attempts, I gave up. With a sigh, I finally said "Can I just call you Andy?"

He seemed incredulous and stayed silent for a few seconds, just staring at me like I was quite possibly the stupidest creature on the earth. Of course, that was exactly how I felt right then, so I couldn't exactly blame the horse guy. Then he heaved a sigh and said "Very well. It seems that would be best. I suppose you can call me…Andy."

I grinned. "Cool. And you can call me Darren."

"Darren?" Andy scoffed. "Such a human name for a vampire."

"Yeah, well. You know how parents are sometimes." I said nonchalantly, shrugging. I tried to hide the grim smile that tried to tug its way to my lips. Andy nodded, but said nothing. The silence stretched on, until another question popped into my head.

"So…where are we anyways?"

"I am surprised that your kind is unaware of the existence of this place!" Andy exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. "It is rather famous among the non-mortal community."

"Yes, well I'm kind of new to all this." I told Andy with a little sigh. "So what is this 'famous' place called?" I prompted him.

"Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He told me quickly.

I felt my jaw drop. _"You've got to be kidding me! First Centaurs and now witchcraft and wizardry? I _know_ I must be in the mad house…." _

"_But then again-" _spoke up the little voice from the back of my mind. _"You've been living the impossible for the last few months. The _Cirque, _Crepsley, vampires, snake boys…wolf men…"_ I flinched at the memory. _"Why would something like magic be _so _unbelievable?" _The voice questioned me. I had to agree.

"Okay." I finally said, coming to the conclusion that the world had gone insane, and that I would just come along for the ride. "So now that I know where I am…do you have any idea how to get out of here? Or _why _I'm here in the first place?"

Andy shrugged. "I suppose it's because they want to study your species. Wizards are fools, in that sense; never content to leave their betters alone." His nose turned up a little with his statement.

"_Their 'betters'? I guess Centaurs must be pretty stuck up. Or maybe it's just this one." _I thought to myself, eyeing Andy thoughtfully. "Yeah…I guess. So can you, ya' know…open the cage or something?" I asked hopefully.

"I suppose I can try." Andy said, touching the bars cautiously with one hand. Immediately he drew his hand back, staring down at his now-smoking flesh. He 'hm'd thoughtfully. "It seems as if they have charmed the cage." Then he reached forward again and wrapped his non-burnt hand around the bar. This time he didn't draw back. "Fascinating." He murmured after a moment. Then his hands dropped to his side. "Darren, please touch the bars for me, but with no intentions or thoughts of escape." He commanded.

A part of me was warning against doing such a stupid thing, but my curiosity over-rode my common sense. I reached out and gingerly touched my fingers to the cool metal. This time, nothing happened. "Whoa! That's pretty cool." I exclaimed. "You said it was a charm?" I asked.

"Yes. I do not know a lot about magic, but I know the fundamentals." He heaved a sigh. "It is necessary, living in such close proximity to magic users." Before I could ask, he continued with his explanation. "As far as I can tell, it is used to make sure escape or release is impossible."

I could feel my heart drop down to the pit of my stomach. "Impossible?" I squeaked.

"Yes, Darren. Impossible. Although, I would wager that the one who cast the charm could also undo it. Or perhaps another magic wielder. I do not really know. I would say that you can touch the bars, as long as you are not doing so with the intention of escaping. Perhaps that will make your time in captivity a bit more comfortable." I saw a bit of pity in his eyes as he said this.

I looked at Andy hard for a moment, and then smiled. _"Maybe…I have a friend here after all." _

We stayed there for a while, chatting. Andy tolerated all of my questions (as long as they didn't have anything to do with Centaurs), never asking his own of me. I appreciated that; it was still a bit of a touchy subject. He was answering a question about the lake when he suddenly stiffened. His hoof scuffed the ground nervously before he said "I've got to go, Darren."

I was a little disappointed, but didn't question him about it; I had learned my lesson about asking questions about his personal life when he had fired yet another arrow a little earlier on. "Alright, Andy. I'll see you later…?" I trailed off, making the usual statement a question instead.

Andy smiled his little, mysterious smile before saying "We shall see what the stars say, Darren." Then he turned and disappeared into the trees without another word. I sighed and lay back onto the wet grass. "And Darren-" came the unexpected voice from the trees.

I sat up, startled. "Yeah?"

"If I were you, I would refrain from telling the wizards too much about yourself. They are humans, after all. They scare easily, and when they do, they have violent tendencies. Go along with what they already believe about your species, and give them nothing more." He told me quietly. His voice rang true, and for some reason, they sent a shiver of foreboding up my spine.

"That's what I was planning on doing in the first place." I said. My friend never answered, and even I couldn't hear it when he disappeared deeper into the forest.


	5. Chapter 5

**So, before we start, I wanted to tell you a little thing that happened the other day. My family and I were out at a Chinese restaurant for lunch, and I was talking about some characters from one of my many stories like they were real, physical people in my life. My younger sister started to remind me that they weren't real, when my mom quickly shushed her. She warned her not to 'pop her bubble!' and said "We've talked about this." I am now feeling a bit worried and paranoid. Haha. Alright, that was all! Thanks for taking the time to read this. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, except for Andy. So…please don't sue me! **

The night had been a fitful one for Harry, and he was already in a bad mood by the time he and Ron went down to breakfast the next morning. Of course, it wasn't made better by Draco, who was apparently entertaining the Slytherine table with a 'funny' story of a certain Boy-Who-Lived. Of course, the story contained a lot of over exaggerated swooning and crying.

"Just ignore 'em, Harry." Ron muttered as they passed to get to their own table.

"Right." Harry sighed, doing his best to do as his best friend had advised. They settled down beside Hermione, who was examining her schedule with interest. Harry was handed his own schedule by either Fred or George (he couldn't tell who was who), and examined it broodingly while somewhere in the background he vaguely noted that Ron and Hermione were discussing her too-full, definitely-impossible, schedule. Harry ignored it. He had Divinations first off.

Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall, beaming happily and swinging a large, furry creature around from one giant hand. He stopped when he reached where the Golden Trio was at.

"'Ello, Harry, Ron, Hermione." He greeted cheerily. "Yer in me first ever class! Isn't that somethin' else. Righ' after lunch. Been up since before dawn, getting' everything ready! 'E can't be in the sun after all…." At this point, the half-giant seemed to be speaking mostly to himself. Harry and Ron shared a glance. In just a second though, Hagrid had pulled himself back together, and smiled down at the three friends. "I hope e'rything'll be alright. Jus' imagine; me, a teacher!" Hagrid said, chuckling . Then he grinned broadly at them, waved, and left for the staff table.

"Wonder what he's been getting prepared for." Ron said, sounding worried. Harry shrugged, but had a suspicion that whatever it was might have something to do with whatever was in the cage that Dumbledore had mentioned.

"We'd better be going soon." Hermione said, looking around at the rapidly emptying Great Hall. "Divination is at the top of the North Tower, and it'll take us ten minutes to get there." With that, the group finished up breakfast and left, having to practically run to get to their class on time.

The Divinations classroom was smoky, and smelled heavily of perfume and smoke. There were colored handkerchiefs everywhere, and overstuffed chairs around low tables. There was no teacher in sight, and the class was silent for a moment. Soon though, a low chatter had filled the room. It was broken off when, from seemingly nowhere, the teacher appeared.

"Hello, class." The woman droned. Harry looked closely at the woman who, at first glance, could be mistaken for an overgrown dragon fly. "Welcome to Divination. My name is Professor Trelawny. You all have chosen to study Divination, one of the most difficult forms of the magic arts! I must warn you; if you do not have The Sight, there will be very little I can teach you."

Hermione watched the professor with an unreadable expression, as Trelawny continued to speak of Divination, and of the Gift of the Inner Eye. Harry found it a little ridiculous, and he could tell by his friends' expressions that they felt the same way. Soon enough, Professor Trelawny began to hand out cups of tea and instructed everyone to drink theirs, leaving only the leaves. The students complied, and soon Ron was examining Harry's 'fortune'.

"Um…that right there kind of looks like a bowler hat. Maybe you'll work for the Ministry." Ron told Harry with a grin. Then he turned the teacup the other way. "And this way it looks a bit like an acorn…I dunno what that means." Then he turned the cup again. "That looks like some kind of an animal. Maybe a hippo…or a sheep…?"

Professor Trelawny whirled on them, and commanded "Give me the cup, my boy."

The Golden Trio shared a glance, trying to hold back their laughter as the Dragonfly-like woman examined the mushy contents of the teacup. Their laughter was silenced when the woman let out a tiny scream. Everyone in the smoky room turned to look at her, eyes curious or worried. Harry himself was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable.

"My boy, you have the Grim." Professor Trelawny whispered, her hands shaking violently on the cup.

"The…Grim?" Harry repeated, unsure of what it meant. Apparently, it was a bad thing if the Divination teacher's response to it was anything to go by.

"The Grim, boy! The Grim." She cried, looking flustered and upset. "The specter that haunts Churchyards. It is an Omen, my boy. An omen…of death."

Harry felt his heart sink.

For the rest of the class time, everyone was jumpy and nervous, the Professor most of all.

The next few classes seemed to rush by, blurring into one another as they passed so that Harry couldn't make sense of them. Sooner than he could have hoped, it was time for lunch, and then right afterwards it would be time for Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid.

As the Gryffindor and Slytherine houses gathered in a clearing outside of Hagrid's hut, the tension could practically be felt in the air. Malfoy was being his snide self, complaining about the new staff members and the ways things were run. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a lot of the others of their house were getting angry. Just before a practically-full-scale duel took place, Hagrid showed up, a big grin on his bearded face.

"Ello!" he said as he surveyed the class, black eyes twinkling as they lit upon the Golden Trio. "I've got a real treat for you today." He announced, the smile on his face growing impossibly wider. "If you'll just follow me…." He motioned for the class to follow after him as he began to go off along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. They all trooped after him, most eyeing the trees warily. For a few horrifying moments, Harry thought that Hagrid was leading them into the Forest. To his relief though, they ended up instead in a small secluded spot with a surprisingly good view of the grounds. They rounded a small pocket of trees and Harry saw it. The three friends shared a long glance. Hermione was obviously relieved, and Ron looked surprised.

In front of the class was a large metal cage.

"Well, at least we won't get into trouble this way." Hermione said, looking back to the cage, obviously curious about the contents. The cage's inside was surprisingly dark, and Harry was having a hard time seeing whatever was in it from his vantage point.

"Now, you've gotta be very quiet." Hagrid told his class in a voice just barely above a whisper. "He's nocturnal, 'e is. Now, gather round."

The class did as instructed and even Malfoy was quiet for once. As they drew closer, and everyone got a look at what was inside, all went silent. Then a few gasps were heard and a few shocked or upset murmurs. Finally, Hermione spoke up.

"Hagrid! Just _what _do you think you're doing? Have you gone mad?" she demanded, shock and a little bit of anger evident in her eyes.

"What're ya…er…." Hagrid fumbled, not sure what to make of her outburst.

"You simply _cannot _keep a little boy in a cage!" she said, as she turned away from the half-giant and got closer to the cage, grabbing hold of the bars. Immediately, she drew back, gasping at her now-burnt flesh.

"'Mione! You all right?" yelled Ron, running up to her, Harry not far behind. Hagrid looked absolutely flabbergasted at this turn of events. He was again stuttering, looking for the right words to explain just _what _was in the cage.

"Er…Hagrid, you really can't just-" Harry began uncertainly, trying to make sense of why Hermione's hand was burned, and why there was a kid seemingly asleep in a large metal cage. Surely Hagrid knew better…?

_His train of thought was derailed though, when a thin, impossibly pale arm_ snaked around his neck and jerked him back against the ice cold bars of the cage.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, eyes huge. Ron, a few other Gryffindors, and Hagrid all copied the cry.

"How convenient." Hissed a voice right at Harry's ear. He shivered when the frosty breath blew across his neck, and began to struggle harder. "I have been hungry, after all." Then that frightening voice began to laugh. The arm around his neck began to constrict.

"_Will I get out of this one?" _Harry wondered as the corners of his vision began to turn black and the arm squeezed ever tighter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry that it's taken me so long to update! My computer has been going a bit wacky on me, and I've had a lot of homework and problems with guys! Please forgive meeeeeee! *Pant, pant* Okay, now I'm done complaining. So I wanted to give a special thank you to DarkBleCloudAngel, DrippingPen, and Hawkflyer667 for your reviews. They really made me laugh and got my lazy backside into gear! And thanks to **everyone else, as well. You all are really inspiring me and convincing me to continue** writing! It is such a huge relief to know that people like my story! :D And thanks to the people who added me onto their favorites and alerts. But next time, please comment along with it! Ok. I think that that might be it. Now…ONTO THE STORY!**

Disclaimer-I don't own the characters in this story, except for my dear centaur buddy, Andy.

"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

"**Sounds"**

Darren Shan Point of View

I couldn't believe how much fun acting like a _real _vampire was! I had never really had a chance before, and it was certainly fun. Well, maybe I was kind of also getting revenge for being locked up in a cage, but it was still fun.

"How convenient." I growled into the boy's ear that I had grabbed. Originally I had been about to grab the girl, but I didn't really want to feel like some pervert. Plus, the black haired boy had been closer. "I have been hungry after all." I said, lowering my voice in the way only a vampire can. I wanted to laugh at how creepy I sounded. I didn't though. I pulled him up against the cage, my arm across his neck, tight enough to keep him in place. Other people were screaming, and I could hear the boy gasping for breath. My brow creased slightly. _Maybe I'm holding him too tight. _I realized, and began to loosen my hold enough for him to be able to breathe again.

The boy stopped struggling. Very slowly, he turned his head as far as he could in his position to look at me. When my eyes met his, I stopped breathing.

"Annie." I whispered. I let go and staggered backwards, only to land in an undignified heap on the ground. Looking up, I mentally cursed myself for my idiotic thought. It was stupid, but his eyes really _did _remind me of my little sister's. They were close to the same color, and the same shape. Most of all, though, they held that same uncertain fear that hers had that one time I had almost attacked her in my first few weeks as a half-vampire, defying Mr. Crepsley and staying with my family instead of leaving with him.

Outside my cage, there was a second of silence before the uproar started. Through it, I heard the curly haired girl and the red headed boy speaking to their friend and making sure he was alright. The large man who was obviously in charge of these people was trying to calm everyone down. I just sat quietly in my cage and waited. After a while, he was able to get everyone to settle down enough for individual voices to be heard by human ears.

"What is that _thing?" _yelled a blonde boy. He was sneering at the large man, but at the same time seemed to be immensely pleased with something. He kept glancing over at the boy I had grabbed with a sadistic gleam in his eye.

"That there is a vampire, which I would've explained proper-like if you'd have let me." Said the man, sounding a bit miffed and disgruntled.

I blinked, a bit surprised. So…the guy I just threatened didn't even know what I was?

_ Damn. I just screwed up big time…._

Harry Potter Point of View

Harry rubbed at his neck for a moment, glad that the boy hadn't actually strangled him. It took a moment for Hagrid's words to sink in.

_ "Wait…that kid is a vampire?" _he turned to look at the person. He was sitting on the grass in his shaded area, holding his head in his hands. Although Harry couldn't see the boy's face, he remembered the look that had been on it when their eyes had met, and the name that had left his lips. It was strange-in that moment, Harry had felt pity for the boy who had been threatening his life.

"A…vampire?" Hermione gasped disbelief evident in her face and voice. "They actually exist?"

"Yer looking at one right there." Hagrid said, indicating the caged boy. "Firs' one ever ta be caught alive. The Ministry O' Magic is letting us keep 'im for a while fer you all to study as a school project. Then they'll be coming for him." At first Hagrid's voice was proud and joyous, but by his last statement it sounded more depressed that anything else. Harry sighed slightly. One could always count on Hagrid to become attached to anything put under his care, especially if it was dangerous.

Before anyone could make a comment, Hagrid clapped his enormous hands together and said "Now, turn to page 92 in yer books."

"And just _how _are we supposed to do that?" growled out Malfoy mockingly.

"You stroke the spine." Exclaimed Hagrid, looking abashed.

With a lot of grumbling and nervous stroking-of-books, the majority of the class managed to get the Monster Book of Monsters opened and calm. Hagrid had them all settle down upon the dry grass surrounding the large metal cage. Most of the students had done so as far away as Hagrid would allow them to, but for some reason, Harry wanted to be a little nearer to the creature. Just…not _too _near. He got a little closer than the others, and Ron and Hermione sat beside him. They made no comment, but _did _share a look that Harry couldn't see.

"Now, who'd like ter read?" Hagird asked, beaming around at his students. No one raised their hand at first, but finally Hermione volunteered. Hagrid's already huge smile got brighter as he looked at his three favorite students. "Thank you, 'Mione."

"Er…you're welcome." Then she cleared her throat and read loud enough for all to hear. "_The vampire is a relatively new species. Although there have been myths and legends about similar creatures circulating for years, they have only recently been revealed as true. However, like all legends, there are things that are both true and false. Although not much is known of Vampires, there have been many studies conducted and specimens collected. There are two known species of Vampire. Subspecies 1 and Subspecies 2. There are significant difference in their physical appearances, feeding habits, and intelligence level." _Here, Hermione paused for a breathe. Everyone was now looking at the vampire in the cage with curiosity. In fact, he himself had perked up and was looking out at Hermione with interest.

_"Does he not even know about his own species?" _Harry wondered as he watched.

"_Subspecies 2 has been reported to feed on and kill humans, and has an intelligence level equal to that of an animal despite their humanoid appearance."_

The caged vampire leaned forward very slightly, interest apparent in his features.

_"Subspecies 1 is tamer, and acts more human than Subspecies 2. They appear much more like a human than their cousins. From reported sightings, they drink the blood of animals. However, when researchers surveyed the contents of their stomachs they have found small amounts of human blood as well. It is not known whether or not this is trace amounts of their own blood before they were turned or of their victims." _

Harry glanced at the vampire again, and for the first time noticed the blood that coated his clothes. Ron was a pale, sickly green color and Hermione looked shocked at what she was reading, as if she couldn't quite believe the words that came from her own lips. Hagrid was smiling.

"We only have a few minutes left. Finish up the paragraph, Hermione then you all can be excused."

_"Spells and curses work on Vampires, but usually take longer to take effect. The Killing Curse works, but it takes longer to kill and is excruciatingly painful. The most effective way of killing them is with a stake through their heart, and then one should remove their heads and stuff them with garlic. Then the head and body should be disposed of by either burning them or throwing them into a moving body of water._

From the corner of his eye, Harry noticed the vampire boy wince. He knew by a glance that his friends had seen it as well.

_"The only known, effective way to ward of a Vampire is through garlic, holy water, crosses, or sunlight."_

The whole class went silent, and the vampire froze, mouth hanging open.

"Yer all excused! You'd better hurry or you'll be late fer your next class." Hagrid called out, breaking the spell. Everyone scrambled around, gathering their things and running for the castle. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the last ones to leave. As the cage left their line of sight, they heard something that made them all stop mid-step.

It was the sound of someone laughing in pure, childish amusement. The three friends glanced at each other, and then continued on their way. The laughter followed them all the way to the castle.__


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is the next chapter! Hope you all enjoy it. Tell me what you think, or if you have any suggestions or criticism, put it in a comment or a PM, and I will take it into consideration. You never know; maybe you will be the one to make the Plot Bunnies chase after a different idea. (Who came up with the notion of Plot Bunnies anyways?) Remember…comments are really appreciated and help keep me inspired and happy! Remember to leave one….or more! Thanks a ton. ^.^**

**Disclaimer- I don't own any of these characters, except for Andy. **

"Speech"

"_Thoughts"_

"**Sounds"**

"_Text Book Reading"_

Harry Potter Point of View

"Harry, you're sure you're alright?" Hermione asked her friend for the umpteenth time as they headed to the Gryffindor Tower. Harry told her, again, that he was sure.

"To be honest, I don't think he actually ever intended to hurt me." Harry told his two best friends, lowering his voice slightly so that the passing students couldn't hear him.

"Are you mad?" Ron yelped, his eyes huge. "That was a _vampire, _mate. They never do any good for anyone."

"You mean you know of them, Ron?" Hermione asked, looking surprised. "The book said that they were only recently discovered." She pointed out.

"Well, yeah. A little bit about them. My great-uncle Louie was killed by one a few years back…at least…that's what Fred and George told me. Along with some other stuff, you know?" he said, suddenly looking a bit unsure of himself.

Harry looked at his friend a bit skeptically, knowing that Ron's twin brothers liked to play pranks and weren't always entirely reliable. Hermione, however, looked curious.

"What exactly did they tell you?" she questioned him. Seemingly without thinking about it, she changed her course, bringing her two best friends with her.

"'Mione? What're you…?" began Ron, but Hermione silenced him with a look. Harry was a bit surprised; he never imagined his friend could look quite like that. "Erm…right. They told me that this weird looking guy attacked him, and that there was a muggle witness who gave the Ministry the details. The one who attacked him was purple…or maybe blue…red? Um, I don't really remember. They told me a few years back, and I haven't really thought much on it 'til now. All I know for sure is that he didn't have any blood left in his body when his body was recovered by the Ministry."

Hermione looked contemplative. "Hermione…just where are we going?" Harry asked uncertainly as he looked around him.

"The library." She answered promptly, never turning to face the two males following after her, who stopped walking for a second when they heard of their destination.

"But we're on a free period! Why are we headed _there?" _protested Ron, hurrying to catch up with his friend. Harry came after him, wondering the same thing.

"We're going to do some research." She murmured eyes steely.

"Research?" asked Ron and Harry simultaneously, both becoming confused. Sure, they had been assigned homework, but Hermione never got _this _worked up over it. They were beginning to worry.

"What this about?" Harry asked her as they reached the library. She pulled the doors opened and they entered, immediately lowering their voices under the glare or Madam Pince, the vulture-like librarian.

"That boy-"

"You mean the vampire?" Ron interrupted, paling a little.

"Yeah, him. I'm curious now, and we need to find out more about him. Something is going on here, and I think that Harry was right; he didn't really want to hurt anyone."

"But he is a VAMPIRE 'Mione. It's just what they do." Ron protested moodily. "That thing had Harry by the _neck _and it was threatening him! Did you forget?"

Harry made a slight face at the thought, but said "I think that she is right, Ron. And there is something else, too. When our eyes met, something happened to him. I could see it. It almost looked as if he recognized me or something. He also said something, but I couldn't hear what it was. I dunno…but Hermione is right; there's definitely something weird."

Ron shook his head slowly. "You're absolute nutters, both of you." Then a grin grew across his freckled face. "But if 'Mione says something is up, then I guess it's just so." He laughed at Harry's somewhat dumbstruck expression. "She _is_ the brightest witch we know." Ron pointed out. Harry had to agree with that.

Darren Shan Point of View

I was pacing my cage when I heard Andy. I turned to find him lingering at the edge of the trees, a serious look upon his face. To be honest, I was surprised that he had managed to sneak up on me.

"Hey, Andy. What's going on?" I greeted him as I stopped my pacing.

"I have come to warn you." He told me, his tone grave. I felt my blood run a little colder, but refused to acknowledge it.

"Warn me? About what, exactly?" I asked easily, smiling at the horse boy.

"I spoke with some of the elders, and I learned of some things concerning the humans' Ministry of Magic and how they handle new species. Some of them are…rather disturbing." His voice went low and harsh near the end.

"Really? Is your species considered a new one as well?" I asked jokingly.

"We Centaurs live far longer than most humans. The Elders were around when the humans considered us 'discovered'." He sneered the last word, lips turning up slightly.

"So…what exactly did they do to them?" I said in a low voice, and hated that my voice betrayed my uncertainty and fear.

"They perform experiments on the beings that they consider below human intelligence, or dissect them to learn of their anatomy. That is what the elders said."

Suddenly thoughts of what I had heard earlier ran through my head. About how there had been blood in the stomachs. How would they know that unless they had dissected them? I felt the blood drain from my face. They had also mentioned something about a killing curse and how painful it was for vampires. Did that mean they had killed them before? Tortured other vampires?

"What kind of people are these?" I muttered, my head drooping and feeling a bit sick at the images my mind supplied of screams and death.

"The ones that consider themselves the rulers of this world." Andy answered in a quiet voice. I looked up at him. His eyes were slightly glazed as he visited some memory I probably would never learn about. Suddenly, he seemed to draw back to the present and his eyes cleared. "I tell you again; be very cautious, my friend."

I nodded. Then I felt a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "So we're friends now, are we?"

Andy blinked at me, and I noticed for the first time that his eyes were a bright, almost unnatural seeming blue. It seemed like he hadn't even realized what he'd said. He looked as if he were thinking about it, then said "Yes. I suppose that, in a way, we are."

I smiled, and after a second began to laugh at the thought that ran suddenly through my head.

"What do you find so amusing?" demanded Andy, looking somewhat abashed.

Through my laughter, I managed to gasp out "It's just that all the friends I've managed to make lately…seem to be half of _something._ First a snake and now a horse! The only normal one was…." I trailed off, suddenly somber. Andy didn't question me about it.

Silently, I thanked him for that.


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy! Make sure to review, ok? =) **

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything except for my plot and my OC, Andy. **

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

"_Text reading"_

Harry Potter Point of View

"Hermione, can't we go yet? It's almost supper time." Ron groaned. He had his head lying on an open book, using it as more of a pillow than a research item.

"Not yet." Hermione said, eyes glued to the page she was reading. With a frustrated little huff, Hermione snapped the book closed and reached for the next one in the pile. Ron groaned. Harry was becoming frustrated as well. So far, there had been no useful information on vampires in any of the books they had pulled from the shelves, and he was close to giving up. Of course, that was when something caught his eye. It was a painting of a young woman and a man, standing side by side. Underneath it was the caption _"This man, believed to be a Vampire, was left by his fiancé when she learned of his true nature. It is believed that he flew into such a rage, that the village she resided in was left in ruins, all its inhabitants left for dead."_

"Hey, guys, check this out." Harry said after reading the paragraph that went with it. "This says that this guy was a vampire, and that he killed his fiancé, her two six year old nieces, and their whole village when she left him. After that, he just disappeared. No one knew where he went to for about 90 years. Then, fifteen years ago, they found him again and performed something called 'Legilimency', which can apparently make it so that people can read minds. This guy was apparently mental, so they didn't get a lot out of him."

Harry faltered, as he read a bit ahead, his brow crinkling in slight confusion.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione prompted gently, curious as to what the book said.

"Um…well, this says that they learned that there are no children vampires, and that they discovered in his mind that there are something called 'Half', but they're not sure what that means." Harry told his friends uncertainly, chewing on his cheek thoughtfully.

"But…if there are no children vampires, then…that kid in the cage isn't one?" Ron asked, voicing all of their thoughts. "But how can that be?"

Hermione shook her head slowly. "I'm not sure, Ron. What does it say happened to the vampire, Harry? Surely they must have learned more…."

"It just says that the vampire died. They used some kind of curse on him to keep him from escaping and also to get him to talk and reveal what he knew. Apparently…well, apparently a vampire's body doesn't take to spells the same way a regular human's does, and something went wrong and he was killed."

"That's horrid." Hermione breathed, eyes wide. Ron nodded in silent agreement. "But…what do you think is going to happen to that boy? Is he really a vampire?" She asked aloud, although it seemed to no one in particular.

"I suppose there's only one way to really find out; we have to go and talk to him." Harry said in a quiet voice. "After all, my dad's Invisibility Cloak ought to still fit us all."

"But Harry! What about Sirius Black?" Hermione hissed nervously, even though she herself wanted very much to speak with the boy.

"I'm sure Black hasn't gotten past the Dementors, 'Mione." Ron said soothingly, while Harry nodded his head.

"Well…alright then." The bushy-haired witch said reluctantly. "But you have to promise to be very careful Harry."

"I will be." He promised somberly.

"It's settled then! Now, can we _please _go get something to eat?" Ron begged his friends. Together, they rose and headed towards the Great Hall to enjoy their meal.

Darren Shan Point of View

"This sucks!" I groaned, rolling over and over on the grass. I felt like a child throwing a tantrum, but I didn't really care; no one was around to see it after all. I had to stop when I hit the bars, facing the outside and getting a clear view of the shimmering lake. The sun was just beginning to set, and I was getting restless. My aching, empty belly wasn't helping my mood either. _"How long has it been since I ate anything?" _I wondered as I stared out. I winced as I heard my stomach growling furiously.

"Shut up already." I muttered to it as I looked away from the lake and the sun, and instead turned to the ceiling of my cage. It only rumbled louder. "What do I do now?" I wondered aloud. Of course, no answer came to me.

I lay there quietly for a long time, until the sun had set and the only light came from the moon and stars high overhead, and from the faraway pinpricks of light that illuminated the windows of the castle. About fifteen minutes after darkness had fallen, I heard the noises of people heading in my direction. It was easy to tell they were trying to be silent by the way they let out little nervous, hissing breaths whenever one of them made a loud sound. I glanced out through the bars and was surprised when I saw no one there. I could smell them and hear them, but I couldn't see them, even with my vampire night vision. It was a bit unnerving.

"If you want to sneak up on someone, then you should work on being quieter." I said aloud, hoping that someone would answer me and assure me that I wasn't going entirely insane. Immediately, the sounds stopped. For a few seconds, all was still and silent, and then, with a flash of silvery fabric, three people stood in front of me.

"Oh. It's you again." I said, trying to sound bored as I got to my feet to look out at them.

"Yeah, it's us again." The dark haired boy I had grabbed earlier said. He looked a bit nervous, but was trying to hide it.

I grinned cruelly and made my voice hoarser and lower. "So you've come back to be my meal after all?" I laughed, sounding slightly insane at how the red haired boy went slightly green and the black haired one paled. This was exactly like people should respond to a vampire!

So, naturally, I was surprised when I heard the girl say "Would you stop that already?"

I stared at her, eyes wide. "What are you talking about?" I growled out. It wasn't quite as effective when my voice cracked halfway through and was accented by my rumbling stomach. I felt a blush crawl up my neck and was thankful that it was cloaked by the darkness of the night.

"I don't think you're as bad as you're pretending to be." The bushy haired girl said matter-of-factly. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way." She introduced herself suddenly. I was so shocked that I didn't respond at first. As if taking my silence as some cue, the girl elbowed the red head beside her.

"Ouch!" he cried out, but quickly said "I'm Ronald Weasley. You can call me Ron."

"And I'm Harry. Harry Potter." The black haired kid said. He seemed a little reluctant to introduce himself. I guess I couldn't really blame him.

"I'm…" I hesitated, unsure whether or not I should give them my real name. "You can just call me Darren." I finally said with a sigh. I saw Hermione smile, but Ron just looked skeptical. I couldn't read Harry's expression.

"It's nice to meet you, Darren." Hermione said, quietly. Somewhere in the dark woods that were behind me, the noises of someone came. I noticed the nervous glances that the three people in front of me shared. It wasn't a frightened look (except for on the red head; he looked terrified!), but more like the looks me and Evra shared when we did something we weren't supposed to.

"You aren't supposed to be out here." I realized, smiling slightly. They didn't have time to answer, because just then a large man approached the cage. He was whistling merrily, but stopped short when he saw the three in front of my cage.

"Eh? Harry, Ron, Hermione? What're you three doin' here?" he asked, scratching at his black tangle of a beard absently. They were at a loss for words, stuttering incomprehensible nonsense that even _I_ couldn't quite make out. The big man just stared at them, but I could see the slightly amused smile on his lips under the beard. After a second, something seemed to come over him. The smile slipped off his lips, and was instead replaced by a slightly opened jaw. "Wait a sec…. HARRY? WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE? DO YOU _REALIZE _JUST HOW _DANGEROUS _IT IS? FOR _YOU _ESPECIALLY!"He yelled angrily, his visible skin turning bright red. I saw the black haired boy shrink back, and identical looks of numbed shock on all three of their faces. Then the big man turned on Harry's two friends. "AND YOU TWO! HOW COULD YOU LET HIM?"

"S-sorry." Hermione squeaked out, and Ron nodded vigorously. I felt confused; was this about me? I groaned a little. Of _course _it was! I had grabbed him, so the big guy must be worried about him. I kept quiet, trying my hardest to make myself invisible.

"GO BACK TO THE CASTLE, _NOW. _You're lucky you're not getting a detention." The big teacher guy growled out. Too shocked to protest, his students silently trooped back. Harry was the only one to glance back in my direction. Through the darkness, I could see him hiding some kind of cloth beneath his shirt.

The big guy was silent for a second, watching to make sure they went where they were supposed to go. Then, muttering something under his breath, he turned and left. I watched as he went, and felt my heart drop when I smelt the dead fox he was probably bringing for me to eat. "Shut up." I ,once again, sighed unhappily to my grumbling stomach.

"_Hey, maybe when Andy comes, you can ask him to bring you something to eat." _I brightened up at the thought. "Don't worry, stomach. You won't be hungry much longer." I said.

The night passed slowly by, but Andy didn't show up. I moped in my cage, counting the hours by scratching tally marks into the ground with my nails. At a little past midnight (from what I could tell, anyway; my time keeping wasn't exactly reliable) I heard someone in the woods by my cage. I looked up hopefully, but it wasn't Andy. It wasn't even another centaur. The one who stood there was an emaciated man in tattered and dirty clothes.

He turned to me and I could see that his skin was like wax, and hadn't seen the sun for many years. His horribly sunken eyes glittered at me from their sockets. We stared at one another for a long, long time. Then, a crooked smile made up of rotting teeth spread across his features.

"So, they've got you in a cage too, huh? Trust me; I know how _that _feels."


	9. Chapter 9

**Make sure to review! Thanks. I hope you like it. Now onto the story! **

**Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter or Darren Shan. And that fact makes me sad. **

"Speaking"

"_Thinking__**"**_

"**Noises"**

"_Text book reading"_

Darren Shan Point of View

"Um…who are you?" I asked the man in front of me. I couldn't help but crinkle my nose at the smell; I was surprised I hadn't smelt him coming from a mile away.

The man grinned at me, and it was a kind, if not mirthful, look despite his rotting teeth. "Well, it's refreshing to know that at least one person doesn't know about me." I decided to not comment on his statement. For a moment, I wondered if he was some sort of celebrity, but I dismissed that thought as quickly as it had come.

"Why are you so surprised? What's the big deal, anyway?" I asked him.

"I'd rather not say…." He began, but trailed off. The man heaved a sigh, and I made a face as I smelled his rancid breath. "So what are you doing in there?" he asked me with a curious expression. "You look young enough to be a student here, so what are you doing in a cage? Did someone decide to play a trick on you?" his smile was back, more mischievous and a spark of amusement came into his dead eyes. "Reminds me of my school days here." He said more to himself than anything.

"You're a wizard, right?" I asked, an idea coming to mind. Andy had said that a wizard could probably undo whatever spell had been put on my cage. "You see, my friends put a…um…jinx on the cage and now I can't get out. Do you think you could undo it?" I asked, trying (and succeeding) to sound like a helpless child. The man seemed suspicious, though.

"Your friends did this? How did they get the cage?"

"They…conjured it." I supplied weakly. Judging by the expression on his face, I had a feeling that that was the wrong thing to say. "They're older than me. And very smart! It was just a little prank, but I think they took it too far." I said quickly, floundering for a believable excuse. Still, his face showed his wary disbelief. "My friends, their names are Hermione, Ron, and Harry." I added, trying to make my story more believable. I figured that if he maybe knew them, then he would be more likely to believe my lie.

"Harry…Harry Potter?" he asked me, his eyes widening as he spoke the words. "And Ron Weasley? Tell me, did they have a rat with them?"

I gave the man before me a strange look. I didn't like his voice or the desperate scent he gave off. Was he a bad guy? Was he out to hurt the three I had only recently met, and why had he asked about a rat? This was making head hurt!

"I don't know. Now, can you come here and let me out?" I begged the man. He stared at me for a few long seconds, then walked forward.

_"I'm going to get out of here!"_ I thought happily, silently rejoicing in that fact. It felt like I had been in the cage for a long time, even though I had only been conscious for a short while. Of course, it was about then that something began to go wrong.

Just as he approached my cage, the man froze. He just stood there for a long moment, his face scrunched up in confusion. Slowly, he leaned in and actually sniffed the air. Then he jumped back and a low growl ripped from his throat. I stared in shock at him. No human should have been able to make a sound like that!

"You're not human, are you?"

"You're not either." I snapped back at him.

He appraised me then said in a quiet voice "Some have said that. On one level, I suppose I'm not. I have better…senses than most. This is why I know better than to let you out right away. I know that Dumbledore must have you in there for good reason, so I think I'll just trust him for now. Perhaps I'll come back sometime." The man told me with a sad smile. And just like that, he was gone.

I stared after him for a long time, halfway hoping that he would some back. "….My life seriously sucks." I said before retreating into the darker side of my cage to sulk and try my best to ignore my aching belly.

Harry Potter Point of View

Harry turned over, groaning quietly. His eyes flickered open, breaking through the bad dream he had been having about a bunch of bloodthirsty creatures. Immediately, Harry knew something was wrong. Silently, he turned his head to scan the room and paled. There it was again; the Grim. Harry closed his eyes tight, hoping that it was just a figment of his imagination; a leftover image from his dream. When he opened his eyes, the Grim was gone. Harry let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"You alright?" he heard Ron ask sleepily, turning to look at his friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Harry confirmed. Ron grunted and rolled back over onto his side and immediately fell back asleep, snoring loudly. Harry cracked a grin, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was…off. With a sigh, he headed down to the common room.

Harry settled into a chair by the fire, gazing into its depths. After a while, his attention began to wander and he found himself staring absently out the window. On the grounds, he saw the distant glint of metal.

_"I wonder how that guy is doing…. What was his name again? Darren? It seems like such an unfitting name for a vampire. But is he really even one?" _Harry thought to himself. Then he let out a frustrated groan at the headache all of this thinking was bringing on at such an unholy hour. Something moved on the grounds, nearer to the castle. His eye was drawn to it immediately, and Harry's eyebrows drew together in puzzlement. _"What is that…?" _ It looked like a human, but at the same time, seemed misshapen. It's frame was much too thin, with layers of (what Harry was guessing to be) cloth hanging off of it, giving the person an almost warped image. There was just a certain sense of _wrongness _about the figure, giving Harry a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. What was almost worse, was the fact that whoever it was seemed to be examining the castle. Harry couldn't help but hope that maybe he was still dreaming.

A noise came from the room above him, causing Harry to look away from the window for a brief second. When he looked back, all he saw was a dark shape loping across the grounds, looking suspiciously like the Grim.

Suppressing a shudder, Harry muttered "Forget it, Harry. Just go up to bed." and then, followed his own advice, planning on telling Dumbledore about the mysterious figure in the morning.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked the next morning. They were in the Great Hall eating breakfast and Ron was hurrying to finish an essay that Snape had assigned them.

"That stupid git! Assigning us this much on the first day." He grumbled unhappily. "Hermione! Will you please…." He looked up at her pleadingly, and fingering the parchment spread out on the table. She sighed but held out her hand. "Thank you so much!" Ron cried, relieved that she was willing to help him out as he handed the essay over. Immediately, she began going over it, scratching something out and writing in another thing. As she worked, she spoke. "Harry, you look sick." She told him, sounding worried.

"No, I'm fine. Just tired is all." Harry assured her, rubbing his eye with one hand as he sipped his pumpkin juice with the other. Hermione eyed him doubtfully, but didn't question him any further. In truth, Harry was not fine as he claimed to be. It was true that he was tired, but there was something that was bothering him. He knew he had to talk to Professor Dumbledore about _something._ He just couldn't quite remember _what. _His brain felt a little fuzzy when he tried to recall just what he had seen during the night; he had been partially asleep anyways. He had the feeling it was important, but he simply couldn't remember it!

"Good morning, Harry." greeted a cheerful voice, shaking the black haired wizard out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Ginny, Ron's younger sister.

"Morning." He said back managing a smile. The red head sat down beside him, pushing Ron a little to the side.

"Hey! Watch it, Ginny." Her brother protested, but he was ignored.

"So, Harry, is it true?" Ginny asked, leaning in towards him with a grin. "That you got bit by a vampire yesterday." She clarified at his questioning look.

Harry felt his jaw drop slightly. Quickly, he shut it. "Erm…no. 'Fraid not."

"Oh, really?"

Ginny looked so disappointed that Harry said "I wasn't bitten, but he did grab ahold of me and threaten me." This earned him a sharp look from Hermione.

"Don't listen to him, Ginny. Darren is actually a very nice boy." The bushy haired witch interjected. "I think it seems completely unfair and unreasonable to keep him in a cage. Especially with the ministry out to…." Hermione trailed off, looking worried. Her eyes darted around before she said "I intend to speak to Professor Dumbledore as soon as I get a chance. Although he may be dangerous, it is inhumane to keep a child locked in a cage!"

"A child? Just how old is he, do you think?" Ginny asked, looking intrigued.

"I don't think he could be much older than you. Or, that is how he appears physically. It is impossible to tell at this point just what his age mentally is. I suppose, for all we know, he could be hundreds of years old, but stuck in the body of someone so young."

Ron made a face. "Bloody hell, that would suck."Harry nodded in agreement.

The four were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Abruptly, Ginny rose from the table. "I have Care of Magical Creatures today. I think I might just talk to this vampire…Darren, was it?" then she smiled and waved good bye.

Ron sputtered, choking on the eggs he had in his mouth. "Oh no, you will not!" he yelled. Harry laughed at how much the boy sounded like Mrs. Weasley at that moment. Ginny ignored her brother and flounced out of the Great Hall while Hermione made a disgusted face at the chewed up food that now covered the front of her shirt.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed so far! I was getting a bit lazy, and reread your comments and it got me all excited again. This chapter is all thanks to you. Lol. **

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

"_Text Book Reading"_

Darren Shan Point of View

When I awoke the next day, I wasn't all that surprised to see a large group of people that appeared to be close to my age gathered around my metal prison. I cracked my eye open, but didn't move around too much. I decided it would probably be better if I just lie low for the moment. _"Grabbing Harry probably wasn't the best move, after all…." _I chided myself guiltily as I peered out at the nervous looking students. The big guy was urging them all to get closer, but only a few followed his gentle commands. Among these few was a girl who reminded me kind of…someone. I thought for a second, then realized that she kind of reminded me of that red haired boy; Ron. She was the one that seemed most eager to get close to my cage. That made me curious.

"Are you awake?" she hissed at me, eyes curious as she moved ever closer to my cage. Her fiery red hair fell across her shoulders, forming a curtain and making it impossible for me to see her face. I wished I could, so that it would be easier to guess at her intentions. I didn't stir or make a move to answer her, still acting like I was asleep.

"Ginny? Just what do ya think yer doin'?" the big teacher called out to her, although he didn't really sound upset. If anything, he sounded more pleased, or maybe proud. "Sorry, Professor!" the girl called back at him, turning away from me. She drew closer to her gathered peers, but I noticed the little glances she kept sending back towards me. Girls still confused me.

The class went on, students taking turns reading out of that ridiculous textbook of theirs. Many of the things were so far from the truth; I would actually start to laugh. I somehow always managed to cover it up just in time, though. Things quieted down for a few minutes when the professor had to run and get something from his cabin. As soon as he was out of sight, a steady buzz of chatter spread amongst the gathered students. Amongst them, I heard a light, airy voice. The only reason I could distinguish it clearly from the rest of the voices was because it was right next to my cage, practically speaking in my ear.

"Hello there. You must be the one that has caused such a ruckus amongst the Professors and students. I'm Luna Lovegood. Tell me; what is your name?"

I opened my eyes all the way, more from surprise than anything else. I was met with a girl's face, just outside the bars of the cage. She was smiling kindly, but her blue eyes seemed far away. She had a dreamy expression on her face, and her light blonde hair was framing falling around her, framing her face. The red haired girl from before appeared beside her, seemingly out of nowhere, but she didn't look quite as kind. I shrunk back slightly, feeling intimidated. _"You're lucky Crepsley isn't here. He would be laughing his undead butt off if he could see you now. Scared by a couple of girls." _Said a snide little voice in the back of my mind.

"Your name is Drake or something, isn't it?" the red head said, snapping me away from my thoughts. I stared at her for a moment before slowly shaking my head. Her green eyes narrowed a little. "Then what is it?"

"Yes, I would like to know as well. I was certainly hoping it wasn't Drake. That name attracts the Nargles, after all." Said the blonde, casting a glance to the area above my head. I looked up, but couldn't see anything there. "Although, I suppose I should have known it wasn't Drake. You don't seem to have attracted any Nargles at all." She continued with a faint smile. The red head cast a sideways glance at her.

"Loony-uh, I mean Luna- what are you talking about?"

"Hm…? Oh, don't worry about it for right now. You can learn more about the Nargles later. My father wrote a whole article on them."

"Oh…right. Anyways-" the girl turned back to me, her green eyes sparking "-so tell us; what is your name?"

"Why should I tell you?" I growled at her, lowering my voice so that the others in the clearing wouldn't be able to hear me.

"Because you told my brother and his friends." The girl shot back at me. "They seem to think that something is up, and if they are willing to help you, then so am I. I owe them that much, after all." The last part seemed to me to be more to herself than anything. She shook her head, clearing out whatever thoughts she had been lost in before turning back to me. "But I've learned my lesson; I'm not going to fall straight into something without knowing everything beforehand."

"Shouldn't we introduce ourselves? It is only fair, is it not?" said the blond beside her with a good natured smile.

The red head blinked in something like surprise, but nodded. "Yeah, you're right I guess. I'm Ginny Weasley. You met my brother, Ron, already, right?"

I nodded silently.

"And I've already introduced myself, but I'm Luna Lovegood." the blond said with that same airy voice as before. They both looked expectantly at me, one set of eyes shining and sharp, the other thoughtful and seemingly carefree. I felt a slight blush spread up my neck and towards my face.

"I'm…um…Darren." I said quietly, clearing my throat as I did so.

"Darren." Repeated Luna happily. "That is a truly lovely name." Ginny and I both stared at her for a long moment, but she seemed to either not notice or simply not care. "Why haven't you broken out yet? My father told me that vampires usually have incredible strength."

"Cursed bars." I answered bitterly. "They burn anyone who tries to set me free."

"Ah, I see. That's a stroke of bad luck. I wonder what kind of creature did that to you. I shall have to talk with my father to find out. Perhaps I could get you a charm to dispel the trouble maker…." Luna trailed off, obviously deep in thought.

"Why don't you just dig out? Sure, it might take a little time, but I'm sure that-" Ginny began, but stopped speaking when I held up my hands at eye level. "Oh! That's terrible." She gasped when she saw my hands. I had had a similar idea just last night when I had been unable to fall back asleep. The result had been bloody and broken fingernails, and absolutely no progress other than a few torn up areas of grass. I couldn't even make a small hole in the ground!

The two girls looked at me, a sad expression reflected in both their faces. All of a sudden, my stomach began to growl again, reminding me of the hunger than had temporarily been forgotten. Just as I opened my mouth to ask the girls if they would, by some miracle, happen to have any food with them, a loud voice interrupted.

"Ginny, Luna! Look at tha'! 'E seems to 'ave taken quite a shine to the two of ya. Be careful, though; 'E's still dangerous."

I made a face; I recognized that voice. "Oh, hello Professor Hagrid." Luna said, smiling up at him. _"So this guy's name is Hagrid." _I thought, wondering if maybe he had been the one to bring me to this place and lock me up in the stupid cage.

"Come on, you two. We still have some assignments we 'ave to do." Hagrid said, grinning hugely and beckoning the two to follow him. They did so, glancing back at me until they disappeared from sight along with the rest of the class who kept giving the two of them odd looks and questioning them about me.

I moaned and fell back as I watched my chance for some real food disappear, my stomach rumbling angrily at me. "Why me?" I questioned.

Harry Potter Point of View

"Hermione! Why are we here _again? _This is the fifth time today!" Ron complained. The threesome were in the library, once again reading up on anything they could find that mentioned vampires.

"This is only the third time, Ronald." Hermione responded, her nose buried in the book she was reading. Ron groaned and let his head fall to the desk in front of them, making a loud **bang **that earned him an angry glare from Madam Pince. He ignored her.

"Here, listen to this." Hermione said quietly after a moment of silence between the three friends. "_It has been proven that vampires retain the intelligence level of an average human half the age of themselves at the time they are turned. As such, if a vampire were to be turned at the age of 20, then they would have the intelligence level of an average ten-year-old. It is theorized that this is the reason there are no turned children." _Hermione looked up at the two boys she was with, a curious expression on her face.

"But Darren looks like he couldn't be much older than a second year." Harry pointed out, his brow creasing.

"You're right. According to this, he should be at the level of someone roughly about six-years-old." Hermione said, skimming over the paragraph again as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"He sure didn't act like he was six." Ron grumbled, his voice muffled by the book he was resting his face on.

"I know. Perhaps Darren is some sort of anomaly amongst vampires. According to everything we've read, he certainly isn't normal, and probably shouldn't even exist. The books say that there are no children, and yet he is one. They say that he shouldn't be at the current level of intelligence he is, and yet he is and perhaps a little more so. I just don't know what is going on!" she said, obviously frustrated by this fact.

"Maybe he just looks young." Ron suggested, staring forlornly at the door and wanting nothing more than to leave the library.

"I don't know. You could be correct, but something just tells me that that is not the case." Hermione sighed unhappily.

"Um…if we don't leave soon, we will be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts." Harry pointed out suddenly. Usually he wouldn't be all that eager to get to a class, but he was curious about the new Professor.

"Oh, you're right. Just let me check out a few of these books, and then we can be on our way." Hermione cried, scooping up an armload of dusty novels and autobiographies.

"What're those for? They can't _all _be about vampires, can they?" Ron asked, eyes bulging out of his head.

"Of course not. I _do _have other things I need to do research on, to write the essays about." The bushy haired witch said, sounding exasperated.

"Do you really think she needs that _many _books?" Ron whispered, turning to Harry. The black haired boy just shrugged and readjusted his glasses, eyeing his female friend uncertainly. Something told him the poor girl might just be biting off more than she could chew.

"Are you two ready?" she called to them as she headed for the door. The two boys shared a knowing glance and grinned, then raced after their friend and towards their first class with the new Professor.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you so much to everyone who commented! I tried to reply to most people's comments, but alas, 'twas proving somewhat tedious/impossible. But besides that, all of your comments made me so happy! I can't believe that everybody likes my writing so much. *WARNING! –shameless advertising right here* If you like Fullmetal Alchemist, you should check out my other story as well. :D**

**It's making me so insanely happy to read all of your positive comments. So this chapter goes out to you all. **

**Disclaimer- Look to the previous chapters, dear friends and readers!**

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

"_Text book reading"_

Harry Potter Point of View

The three friends trooped towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and, very cautiously, poked their heads in. Ron let out a very audible sigh of relief when they saw that there were no cheekily smiling self portraits or a cage full of angry pixies. Quietly, they found their way to the seats that were as far away from the Slytherin house as possible and settled down into them. The trio glanced around the room. It was dim, but not dreary, and comfortable warmth permeated the large room. Students were filing slowly into the room, looking as nervous as Harry, Hermione, and Ron felt. Everyone found their seats and waited for their mysterious new teacher to arrive.

As the minutes ticked by, they began to talk amongst themselves. It was an uncomfortable sort of chatter, the Houses staying mostly to themselves. It was quiet enough that, when the doors swung open with a loud **thump** a couple of the third years actually let out little yelps. Everyone turned to see who had entered the classroom. As was half expected, the new Professor stood in the doorway. The man glanced around at the class for a brief moment before walking calmly to the front of the room.

"Hello. My name is Professor Lupin, and it is a pleasure to meet all of you." He introduced himself warmly, but sounded tired. A weak chorus of 'Hello's answered him.

"The chap doesn't look too good." Ron commented in a whisper to his two best friends. Harry nodded while Hermione gave him a disapproving look, but secretly agreed.

"Well, from what the Headmaster tells me, you seem to have had a rather dysfunctional education in this class. You all know how to duel, and how to deal with Cornish Pixies, is that correct?" Lupin said with a slight sparkle in his tired eyes. There was a quiet murmur that rippled through the class at the mention of the pixies, and Neville Longbottom looked like he might cry at the memory. The professor nodded and opened up a small notebook, his eyes scanning whatever was written there briefly before he said out loud "Please open your books to page 113. We will begin our reading there today."

A few students groaned, but they all obediently opened their books. The professor surveyed the room approvingly. When everyone had found the page, he said "Now, please read the first three paragraphs, and then we will get started with our lesson for the day." As everyone else began to read, a single hand was raised high into the air. Lupin's eyes stopped upon the hand and he quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, Ms. Granger?" he asked kindly.

"Sir, I was curious; do you know anything of vampires?" the bushy haired third year asked, sounding almost hesitant. All eyes were raised from their books and instead trained either on Hermione or Professor Lupin.

"Do I know anything about vampires." Lupin echoed her thoughtfully. "I suppose it all depends; what do you wish to know?"

Hermione looked surprised at the response, and was quiet for a second, thinking up whatever questions she wanted answered the most. "I think-" she began, but was cut off when another student shouted out "Have you ever met one?". Hermione sent an angry glance in the direction of whoever had spoken, but waited patiently for the answer anyways.

The professor chuckled and said vaguely "Not many people of our generation have met such creatures." Before the protests could be voiced by the curious students, Lupin raised one hand to signal for silence. "However-" here, it felt as if the class had taken a breath together and all were all holding it. "-I did have the fascinating experience of meeting one before. It was just in passing, but he seemed to be an overall kind sort of man, if not a bit rough around the edges."

A kind of disappointed sigh from the students broke the spell. "What was his name, sir?" Hermione interjected curiously, ignoring the others.

"I'm not sure if I really remember it at this point; I met him when I was still just a child, really. I believe, though, that it was Crepsley. Larten Crepsley."

"How did you meet him?"

Lupin stared at his students for a long time, obviously having some kind of an internal struggle with himself about whether or not to enlighten the children he was sworn to teach or to keep his own little secrets as such. Finally, he said "My father had a few…interesting…friends. When a particular problem arose in our family, we went to see one of those friends."

"Your father was friends with a _vampire?" _Lavender shrieked from the back of the room. Harry caught Hermione's angry glare at the tone of the other girl's voice.

"No, but friends with a man who knew one." Lupin said in his semi-quiet voice. The poor man looked very tired now, as if just speaking and thinking of the experience just pulled the energy and life right from him. There was a brief second of silence before the Professor said "Now, please continue reading the assigned paragraphs, and then we will get started with our lessons."

Hermione looked disappointed; she hadn't even had the chance to ask her question! But she obeyed and kept her mouth shut anyways. Quickly, she read and reread the paragraphs- and even a little extra- and was done before Harry or Ron had even reached the end of the second paragraph.

As soon as he was sure everyone was finished, Professor Lupin asked the class if anyone had any guesses as to what they would be studying that day. Almost every hand from the Gryffindor house was raised high into the air, while most if the people from the Slytherin house just sneered at the question.

The new Professor peered around at his students before calling "Neville Longbottom."

The slightly chubby Gryffindor looked shocked at being chosen to answer the question, but managed to stutter out "Um…B-Bogarts, sir."

"That is correct." Lupin smiled at the boy warmly, and then turned to the rest of the class. "Now, the original plan was to have class inside and with a Bogart that was residing inside of a large wardrobe. However, due to a misunderstanding, that one was disposed of already, so we will have to take our class to the outdoors."

"The 'outdoors'?" Draco sneered from his spot. "Why would we go there?" the question was obviously rhetorical, but the professor answered it anyways.

"Because, Mr. Malfoy, the only other Bogart that we know of, that is currently taking residence inside of the school grounds is in a small shack- usually used for miscellaneous tools- that is located near the Forbidden Forest." The Professor said it in a polite, matter-of-fact tone, but Harry could hear the underlying sarcasm in his voice.

Harry couldn't help but grin when he saw how pale Malfoy's face became at the mere mention of the Forbidden Forest.

"Now, class, gather your things and we will head outside." The Professor announced. Everyone jumped and scurried to gather their things. Malfoy and his group moved at a snail's pace, shuffling their feet and scowling at the Gryffindors and casting dirty looks at Professor Lupin when they thought he wasn't looking.

At length, they all trooped outside and (for some, very reluctantly) towards the forest. As they passed by his cage, Hermione waved at Darren, despite the fact that they couldn't see him from their vantage point. After a painfully placed elbow in the side, Ron and then Harry followed her example.

"He's probably asleep, you know. Vampires are usually nocturnal." Ron muttered not quite under his breath, rubbing his now sore side. Hermione sighed, but didn't say anything. Harry couldn't help but smile at his two best friends' slight bickering.

Soon enough, they reached the small shack. The class gathered around it, some looking nervous, but most looking excited. Even before Professor Lupin called Neville up to demonstrate just how this lesson was going to work, Harry began to get a sinking feeling deep in the very pit of his stomach. Something told him that things weren't going to go exactly as planned….


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, here is the next chapter! I hope you all like it. I wasn't quite sure on some things, but I think I did a pretty good job at flying by the seat of my pants. : ) So make sure to review, okay? Tell me how I did! Even if it's a flame. Thanks you very much! Please enjoy.**

**Warning-This chapter is darker, so be prepared.**

**Disclaimer- Please look at the previous chapters if you are truly curious.**

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

"_Text book reading"_

Darren Shan Point of View

I watched the group troop past me, and made a face when those three people waved at me. I couldn't deny the small smile that twitched at my lips, though. But then they had moved on and I felt an odd feeling.

_"Loneliness, you idiot." _My mind supplied, in a not-so-helpful way. Then it hit me that the fact that I was hearing voices probably didn't bode well for my sanity. I sighed and turned away from the castle and instead focused on the noises from the forest and my angrily growling stomach. Just barely, I could hear the voices and sounds made from the students of the class. I closed my eyes and tried to listen. I could hear a man's voice saying something about a Bogart, and after a few seconds a lot of laughter. I wondered vaguely what was going on.

It went on like that for a while, with cheery and upbeat music playing in the background. I could hear the students' laughter or sometimes shrieks (of fear of amusement, I wasn't sure). I found myself wishing I could see what was going on, and soon I was standing up and trying to find an angle that I might be able to see through the trees that separated their class and me. Just barely, I could make out the large group and something huge and hairy, although I couldn't quite see what it really was. To my surprise, the thing seemed to change and the laughter sounded again.

As someone new stepped forward, things seemed to get a little quieter and a slight foreboding filled the air, sending a chill up my spine. All of a sudden, the student was shoved out of the path of whatever creature they were facing, an older man (I was guessing their teacher) taking his place. The man yelled something that sounded suspiciously like "Ridiculous". I heard the yelps of a few of the kids, and had to hold back a laugh as some of them literally threw themselves out of the path of whatever was coming at them. It didn't look to be much; just a small yellow…something.

I didn't have long to wonder, because at that moment the thing seemed to change directions mid air and come flying straight at me! I stumbled back a step, more than a little surprised at seeing a bright yellow balloon come flying at my face. I looked down, trying to regain my footing. When I looked back up, I felt my heart stop.

"Hi Darren." Annie said, smiling that huge smile that I had missed so much. "I just _knew _you wouldn't have just up and died on us!"

"Annie." I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. Something inside me was warning me, pointing out the fact that it would be impossible for my little sister to be here. I ignored it, stumbling forward and reaching out through the bars.

Annie stepped forward and took my hand. Unbidden, sobs racked my body. She was real! Annie was actually, physically here! I couldn't stop smiling and laughing, even as tears ran down my face. Annie drew closer, embracing me despite the bars and I hugged her back.

"I missed you, Darren." She whispered, and I could feel the wetness of her tears on my face and neck.

"I know. I'm so, so sorry." I whispered back, holding my baby sister closer as I tried to stop my tears. Suddenly, she stiffened. I let go instantly, afraid that my strength was too much and that I was hurting her. Annie stumbled backwards, and what I saw was enough to make bile rise to my throat.

Harry Potter Point of View

All of the class had run after the Boggart. They had stopped short, though, when they saw where exactly it was. The creature had stopped right in front of the glinting cage, and appeared to be talking with Darren. Slowly and uncertainly, the wizards and witches crept forward, close enough to see and hear exactly what was going on.

The Boggart had taken on the shape of a little girl, and had suddenly moved forward so that it and Darren were hugging, despite the fact that the bars of the cage separated them. They appeared to be speaking to one another, but in voices too quiet to hear. Without realizing it, Harry and his friends had been moving forward. Suddenly, the 'girl' had stiffened. Darren let go, and immediately she stumbled backwards, clutching at her neck. Blood gushed from between her fingers and dribbled down her body to pool at her feet. Darren was covered in the dark red substance as well.

"H-how could you?" the girl cried out, tears streaming from her eyes and making the blood on her face run as well. "How could you use me like this?"

"Annie! I…I…." the vampire seemed at a loss for words, his eyes huge as he stared in horror at the girl in front of him. "But I never…." He began, his voice choked and hoarse.

"But you wanted to, didn't you." Annie said, her voice pitching higher. "All to feed your disgusting blood lust." She accused, pointing a trembling, blood covered finger at him. The blood spurted from her neck, and she collapsed to the ground. Her blood covered the grass like a grotesque carpet.

Harry could hear several of his fellow classmates retching at the sight before them, and he felt both Hermione and Ron draw closer.

"Annie! No, please! Please, don't die. I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Annie! Don't die!" Darren screamed as he tried desperately to escape from his cage. The scent of burning flesh assaulted their noses as smoke rose from Darren's body as the cursed bars tried to repel him. Ron turned away, losing all his breakfast.

Darren stopped his struggles as a new figure appeared beside Annie's body. He seemed frozen in shock as the boy walked unsteadily towards him.

"Why…did you…kill me?" the boy hissed at Darren. "Why couldn't…you…just let me come with you?"

"Sam. But…how?" was the only reply.

"This is your fault!" Sam screamed. As he did, blood flew from his mouth, landing on Annie's still and silent form. "You drained me, Darren. You let the Wolf Man eat me, and then you drained me. Why couldn't I just come with you? Now I won't ever get to see my mom or dad again, or read a book, or eat pickled onions. It's all because of you."

"I know." Darren whispered. His hand found its way to his own throat. He clutched at it for a second, and then the hand traveled down to his belly. Then back up to his throat.

"I want it back." Sam growled, a maniacal grin twisting his young features. "Give me back what you stole!" he yelled.

Darren began to cough and retch, and blood began pouring from his mouth. He collapsed to his knees as the blood continued to flow from his open mouth. He seemed to be choking on it. Sam stepped forward, and for the first time Harry saw the extent of his injuries. He felt bile rise, and Hermione let out a scream, turning and burying her face into his chest. She wasn't the only one to scream.

Where his stomach should have been, it was nothing but a gaping and ragged hole. There was blood, but not as much as there should have been for an injury of that extent. The boy's words _"You drained me dry." _seemed to echo through the air.

"Darren did this?" Harry asked aloud, shocked.

"Professor! Please, you have to stop this." Hermione cried out, tears running down her face. Her attention was again trained on Darren, who was still throwing up blood. It ran down his chin and shirt, creating a puddle on the ground.

"I can't." the Professor whispered, sorrow and pain evident in his face as he watched with rapt attention at the scene unfolding in front of him. As he spoke, a third figure appeared. The sight of it made Lupin's eyes widen in shock. A huge and hairy, man-like creature appeared. It snarled and growled, swiping at Darren. The vampire boy's eyes grew huge.

"Please! Not again!" he cried out, his teeth stained red with blood. He struggled to stand, using the bars for support. "Run Sam! Don't just stand there, RUN!"

But he didn't listen. Sam seemed frozen, staring up at the creature with a strange expression. Something like utter terror and morbid fascination. Then the creature swiped at him with one paw, seeming to grow larger as he did so. It threw the little boy to the ground, and tore at the place where his stomach should have been. Sam let out one long, bone chilling scream. It was the most terrible thing that Harry had ever heard, and Darren screamed along with him. Then everything went silent, and the terrible murderous creature was gone, taking Sam with him. Yet still, Annie's body lay there, covered in blood.

The thunderous silence stretched on, interrupted only by the sound of retching and crying from the students of Hogwarts. Darren stared at the little girl's body, a haunted look in his eye.

"Hello, Darren." A quiet voice said suddenly, shattering the eerie, terrible silence. Darren looked slowly up, and beneath the blood that covered his face, his face went even whiter than it had been previously.

"Steve is that really you?" he breathed, so quietly that Harry wasn't sure if he had really heard it.

"You bet'cha." The boy answered, a mischievous grin on his face. "And guess who I brought with me." He continued. On cue, two more figures materialized beside the newcomer. Harry was surprised by their appearances, but Darren didn't seem the least bit phased by it. In fact, a look of wary joy showed in his eyes.

"Evra, Mr. Crepsley… you guys found me. But…Steve..?" Darren trailed off, his eyes sliding down the length of Steve's body and to Annie. A stake was held in Steve's hand, and poised above the tiny body that lay motionless in the blood soaked grass.

"He's going into shock." Hermione whispered. Whether she was talking to him or only to herself, Harry couldn't tell. But the next second, she was screaming again, erasing any thoughts he might have had.

As Hermione had spoken, Annie had stirred and managed to push herself up. "Steve, Darren, what's going on?" she had asked, looking up at them with wide, trusting eyes. Without warning, Steve thrust downwards, driving the stake in his hand straight through her forehead. Annie's eyes widened and a strangled cry escaped her lips before she collapsed again. Hermione joined Ron, emptying the contents of her stomach at the sight of a mere child being murdered in such cold blood by someone who was nothing more than a child himself.

"NO! WHY!" Darren screamed, again clawing at the bars like a wild animal in his attempt to free himself. "Mr. Crepsley, stop him!" Darren pleaded desperately, eyes darting wildly between the four in front of him. None of them moved.

Then the tall red headed man shook his head slowly. "We cannot, Darren. You see, in this case we are in favor of Steve. I have considered it, and I have decided that he is, indeed, the better choice for an apprentice. You are useless, Darren, and must be disposed of."

Darren stared at the man in shock. He then turned to the other boy, who Harry could only describe as a snake boy, and with a sad, questioning look said "Evra…and you?"

The snake boy nodded his head. "You betrayed your best friend once already, Darren. I won't be betrayed as well."

"But I didn't." was all Darren said as he sank slowly to his knees again, legs finally giving out.

"You are going to die, Darren." The boy called Steve sneered, stooping down and pulling the stake from Annie's head. It made a disgusting **slurp **as it was removed, making Darren wince. "It might as well be me who does it, right?" Steve continued, as if nothing had happened. "I swore to kill you one day, so why not today?"

"Why not today?" Evra repeated.

"Why not today?" Mr. Crepsley echoed.

Darren stared up at them for a long moment before his head and shoulders drooped. The vampire boy's whole body slumped forward against the bars as if he simply couldn't find the strength to hold himself up any longer.

Echoes and voices rang through the air, accusing, crying, begging and pleading, screaming; whispering sweet and deadly words.

"Blood lust…death…your fault, Darren."

"Monster…freak…beast…."

"You killed me, Darren. Why did you do it?"

"Please…please…."

"We loved you, but you betrayed us. Why, Darren?"

"How could you? I trusted you!"

"Death…everyone is dying…all because of you."

"Your fault, Darren."

The voices went on, and the terrible screams of Annie and Sam and others that Harry didn't know of resounded through the air.

"I'm sorry." Darren said, breaking the spell. "I know…it's my fault. I know."

Steve, Evra, and Crepsley stepped forward as one. Steve wielded his stake, a huge smile warping his features. From around his shoulders, a huge snake moved forward at Evra's command and wrapped itself around Darren. Crepsley held no weapon, but something told Harry that the man didn't need one. He simply moved forward with the others, licking blood from his fingers.

_"They're really going to-"_ Harry realized, his eyes widening. He turned towards Lupin. "Professor! You have to stop them _now_!"

Lupin was already moving forward, his wand drawn. With horror, Harry saw that he wasn't going to make it. He himself began to move towards the carnage, but before he could even pull his wand, a cry of "RIDDIKULUS!" could be heard, followed by a forced and shaky laugh.

The Boggart disappeared in a puff of smoke. When it cleared, Harry was shocked to see a pale and horrified Neville Longbottom standing directly in front of the cage. He was sweating and shaking, and after a long second he merely collapsed. A few Gryffindors ran forward to help, along with Professor Lupin.

"Class is over! You are all dismissed." The professor yelled. The Slytherins and Gryffindors alike ran at his announcement, many still trying to hold down their sickness. The only ones that stayed were the few who had come forward to help. As they made their slow way back to the castle, these students were the only ones who heard the terrible, heart wrenching screams and sobs that echoed from the cage. They were the only ones who would hear _those _particular cries in their nightmares that night, and they were the only ones who would know how lucky the others were for not having to hear them.

**Please remember to review, and to tell me what you thought.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm so glad I got a good response to the last chapter! I was really worried that people wouldn't like it. *sigh of relief* Well, my younger sister pointed out to me that there are no pairings, nor do I have any in mind. She was…rather upset. So that made me curious; are there any pairings you all, my most beloved and faithful readers, want to see? Please tell me if there are! Thanks, and I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer-Honestly, should I even bother to include one?**

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

"_Text Book"_

Harry Potter Point of View

The news of what had happened with the Boggart and the vampire spread through the school like a bad case of the flu. Like the flu, it got worse and worse with each person it was passed on to. Soon enough, the story ended with the Vampire reaching through the bars and attempting to kill the people the Boggart was impersonating himself. Neville became a hero for just narrowly escaping certain death at the hands of the Vampire and then forcing him back into the cage. Of course, Neville denied these claims and attempted (futilely) to tell what really happened. On the whole, the poor boy was just ignored.

"That's absolutely disgusting!" Hermione shrieked as a new version of the story got around to her. The girl looked furious and disgusted at once, and the first year who had told her the story wisely decided that he should make himself scarce, and quickly.

"Calm down, 'Mione." Ron said as he paused in his consumption to take a breath. It was breakfast, two days later. So far, all the students had been kept away from Darren. But, in spite of his words, she did the opposite.

"That's it! We have to go to Professor Dumbledore and tell him what's really going on. We have to convince him to let Darren go." She declared, standing from her seat and pulling her two best friends with her, both of whom were protesting and staring longingly back at the delicious food. (They had been having trouble keeping much of anything down since seeing the grotesque scene. They weren't the only ones, of course. That didn't mean they weren't hungry, though!) In the end, they lost and allowed themselves to be dragged along by their female companion.

They proceeded through the halls until they reached the large stone gargoyle that guarded the entry way to the headmaster's office. "Caramel toffee." Hermione told it confidently. The creature immediately jumped aside and the three friends stepped forward onto the rotating staircase, the two boys marveling and wondering at how it was their friend knew the password. Hermione tromped angrily up the stairs, Ron and Harry following close behind. They reached the Headmaster's door, and just as Hermione raised her fist to knock, she paused and instead opted for raising a finger to her lips to tell the others to keep quiet. As one, the three friends leaned forward to listen more closely to what was being said.

"-understand, Albus. Why would you allow such a thing?" said a woman.

"That's Professor McGonagall." Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron, who both nodded even though they already were already aware.

"It was necessary, Minerva. The Ministry ordered-"Snape's voice began, making Harry and Ron scowl.

"I must say that, in this matter, I don't care what the Ministry has to say about anything. They made that deal with Hagrid under the expectations of his failure." The deputy headmistress hissed back, cutting the potions teacher off.

"If I may, what 'deal' are you speaking of?" inquired a tired and sad sounding voice.

"Is that Professor Lupin?" Harry questioned, feeling a bit surprised. His friends nodded but didn't make a sound or movement otherwise, their attention focused entirely on the conversation.

"Oh, yes. I had forgotten that you had yet to be filled in on all the details, Remus." Professor Dumbledore's kind voice said. "You see, recently reports have been filtering into the Ministry about a certain magical creature."

"Vampires." Snape said snidely, as if the other Professor wouldn't have been able to figure it out otherwise. At that moment, Harry wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk that he knew would be there off of the hook-nosed professor's face, but he didn't move to do so.

"Yes, precisely. The Ministry was curious and apprehensive, of course. From my understanding, they went to many Witches and Wizards to ask them to apprehend a specimen for them. They were unsuccessful, as you may have been able to guess. After a while, they came to Hagrid to ask the same. I am not sure whether it was a simple gesture or if they actually had some hope that he would have any success, but they made a deal with him; if he were to capture a Vampire alive, they would allow it to be held here until the school year came to a close." The Headmaster told him.

"But…why? Why would they allow such a valuable find be held at a _school _of all things?" Lupin asked, sounding a bit overwhelmed.

"They claimed it would be beneficial to the minds of our youth." Professor McGonagall sighed in a voice that obviously conveyed she didn't believe any of it.

There was a long lull in conversation, everyone lost in their own thoughts. That was when Hermione decided would be the best time to knock on the door.

"You may come in." came the curt reply to her sharp rap. The Golden Trio entered the circular office, feeling suddenly nervous. "Ah, Ms. Granger, Misters Weasley and Potter, how nice of you to come visit." Dumbledore greeted them warmly, a familiar twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Hello, Professors." Hermione said, nodding at all present. Then she turned back to Dumbledore, a determined look in her eye. "Professor Dumbledore, we have something that needs to come to your attention, and we-"

"Ah, yes, of course. But before that, I would like to ask the three of you a very important question." The white haired man inturupted, holding up a hand to signal silence.

"Oh, um…yes, sir?"

"I understand that you three were witnesses to the Boggart incident, is that correct?"

"Yes sir! That's actually what we were here to talk to you about." Hermione said excitedly, pulling Harry and Ron forward to stand beside her.

"I have heard some rather…gruesome and fantastic stories of what happened. Would you have any idea as to what truly happened between our residential vampire child and the Boggart?" Dumbledore asked gently, gazing intently at his three students over his half moon spectacles.

Quickly, barely pausing for breaths, Hermione relayed the story and of their own conversations and experiences with Darren. Harry and Ron would add in their own thoughts and sometimes something that the other would leave out or forget. Soon enough, they were done. They looked at the gathered adults expectantly, waiting for some kind of reaction or comments. To their surprise, they received none. Dumbledore looked thoughtful, Snape just sneered in their direction, and both McGonagall and Lupin looked slightly sick.

After what felt like ages, Professor Dumbledore finally spoke. "It seems as though you all had quite the exciting experience, just as Professor Lupin said."

The three students stared at him, looking dumb founded. To everyone's shock, it was Ron who broke it first.

"Is that all you have to say?" he demanded, looking shocked and then angry. "We just told you that you're keeping a little kid-who might not even be a vampire in the first place- in a cage, and all you can say is that we've had an interesting experience? What the bloody hell?"

All in the room turned to Ron, more than a little surprised at his outburst. All but Dumbledore, who simply smiled sadly, the twinkle gone from his eyes.

"I understand your frustration, but at this point there is really nothing I can do. Whether young Darren is innocent or not, he is under the supervision of the Ministry of Magic, and I cannot act against them."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at him for a long time, a slight and unexpected feeling coiling through their stomachs.

"I understand, Professor." Hermione whispered, her head hanging. Harry could feel his own despair at the news.

"Do not despair, though." Dumbledore comforted them. "Things such as these have a way of…working themselves out. Everything will be alright in the end." He said mysteriously. The three stared over at him, confused by his words. But then they were dismissed, and hurried out the door by a scowling Snape. As the door slammed behind them, the trio shared a meaningful look before, on Ron's insistent pleas, scurrying to get back to the Great Hall with any hopes of finishing their meal.

Darren Shan Point of View

It was cold.

I was hungry, and my only escape was sleep. But even that evaded me, taunting me and making me shut my eyes, only to see flashes of those terrible things again. As I lay, staring up at the ceiling of my metal prison, I could hear the big man coming up to my cage again. He had a rabbit with him this time. I could smell it, but just barely. My powers were weakening; I was slowly starving to death. Somehow though, I was okay with that. I deserved it.

"C'mon now! You got 'ter eat somethin'." The man exclaimed worriedly, staring at the untouched carcasses that had collected by the cold metal of my cage. I ignored him.

My mind and instincts were telling me to take the blood from those lifeless creatures, and yet my body refused to move.

"Please, now little feller. You've gone nearly a month in there, and havn' eaten anythin'. It's nearly Halloween; that's a reason fer celebrating, aren't it?" his pleas fell on deaf ears.

After a while longer, he finally gave up and left. He left the rabbit carcass behind, still hoping that I would take from it, no doubt. I ignored it, and instead tried to close my eyes, wishing and praying to whatever God there may be out there that I wouldn't be forced to see those terrible, frightening images dancing and flickering behind my eyelids.

Of course, my prayers went unanswered.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer- I don't own either story or characters. If I did, do you really think I would be writing fanfiction about it? The only thing I own is my idea and Andy. **

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

"_Text Book"_

Harry Potter Point of View

It had been a few days since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gone to see Professor Dumbledore. They were enjoying their Sunday off, and both of the boys were glad that Hermione hadn't forced them to go to the library yet. At lunch time, they were all gathered in the Great Hall enjoying their meal when Ginny approached them.

"Hey, have you noticed something a little off about Hagrid lately?" the redhead asked immediately, without even saying hello first.

"What'dya mea'?" Ron grunted around his mouthful of food. Ginny cast her brother a disgusted look.

"Just look at him, Ron. Don't you think he seems a different?" she sighed, motioning vaguely towards the teacher's table. The three elders turned as directed. Ginny was, indeed, correct. Hagrid's visible face was pale, and his shining black eyes were watery and red. He seemed more withdrawn, and kept glancing down at his food, and then sniffling pitifully. Harry noted that Professors McGonagall and Lupin would both pat his hand comfortingly every now and then.

"We should talk to him." Harry declared worriedly staring up at his friend. The other three nodded their agreement. As the lunch hour was nearing its end, they watched Hagrid rise to leave. The four friends rose as well and rushed to meet him. They got to him just as he left the Great Hall.

"Hagrid!" they yelled simultaneously to the enormous man. He turned, seeming surprised, but smiled at the group anyways.

"'Ello there you four. What're you up ter?" he asked with an attempt at a smile.

"We were just wondering if you were alright." Ginny answered quickly. "You seemed kind of down, so…." She trailed off when Hagrid burst into tears.

"There there. It's alright, Hagrid." Harry tried to soothe the big man, patting him awkwardly on the arm since he couldn't reach up to Hagrid's shoulder. His friends attempted as well, but with no success. Soon enough, the man's blubbering came to a shaky halt. He sniffed pitifully, wiping away tears and blowing his nose into a tablecloth sized, spotted handkerchief.

"T-thanks fer tryin' to make me feel better." He sniffled. "It's just with that little feller out there just refusing to eat and what not. I don't know what ter do 'bout it."

"What little…you mean Da- I mean, the vampire?" Hermione gasped as she realized who he was referring to. Hagrid nodded silently.

"What did you mean when you said he was refusing to eat?" Ron asked, looking surprised and worried at the same time.

"H-he j-j-just doesn't seem ter wanna move around much at all. I've been bringin' 'im foxes and the like, but he doesn't even touch 'em. 'E looks just aweful! All pale and skinny and with these real dark circles around his eyes like 'e hasn't slept, and I don't know what ter do!" Hagrid exclaimed, beginning to cry again. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione all did their best to comfort their friend. Soon, he declared that he had to go and, still shedding enough tears to fill several buckets, left.

As soon as he was out of sight, the four friends turned to one another. "We've got to go see him." Ginny declared. Immediately, the others agreed and they all headed for the grounds, trying their best to not be noticed by the passing staff and students.

"Wait a second!" came a cry from behind them. They winced and turned back, shocked to see Neville come running up behind them. He was huffing a bit when he said "You're going to see that vampire, right? Let me come with you!"

"You want to come with us?" Harry repeated, surprised. Neville nodded, his jaw set stubbornly. The others stared at him for a long while, trying to process in their minds what their friend had just said. Usually the boy was quiet and easily scared, but in this case….

"Alright, Neville. Let's get a move on before one of the Professors find us out." Ginny said with an impish grin and conspiratorial wink. Neville looked relieved, a smile breaking across his features. Together, the five of them set out.

Soon enough, they had reached the darkened cage. "Oh my God." Hermione gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. The sight that they were met with was disturbing on a level that the students didn't often have to deal with.

Darren was lying on the ground, face up. They could see, beneath his clothes, how emaciated he was and how his stomach caved in. His arms were like twigs, and his clothes still coated in blood. The vampire boy's dark hair was matted and dirty, his once stormy eyes now deadened and caved in. The black circles surrounding his eyes stood in a terrible accordance with his ghostly pale skin. He looked even younger now, his eyes huge in his drawn face, and frail bones obvious underneath his skin.

"Darren?" Hermione whispered in shock, kneeling down by his cage. "Darren, can you hear me?" she said louder. Getting no response, she yelled "Darren! Listen to me! You have to snap out of this…this…whatever it is. You have to eat." Still, Darren didn't seem to hear her.

"What can we do?" Hermione cried, turning back to the others. She had tears streaming down her face, and was struggling desperately to come up with ideas to help their friend.

"I-I don't know." Ginny choked out around the lump in her own throat, swiping angrily at the tears that threatened to overflow from her eyes.

"Do you know any spells that could maybe unlock the cage, or cut through the bars or, or _something?" _Harry asked, running through his own memories and ideas of how they might be able to help. No one spoke, each doing their best to come up with an answer. No idea came to mind at first, until Neville suggested uncertainly "Isn't there one…Alohomora?"

"Of course! Why didn't we think of it earlier?" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, pulling out her wand. She pointed her wand and said the spell confidently. Immediately, the bushy haired witch reached for the bars, only to cry out and pull her hand back. Her flesh was burnt and bleeding, a thin trail of smoke rising from it.

"'Mione! Are you okay?" Ron yelped, moving forward. Harry had an odd sense of déjà vu as he too moved forward. From his cage, Darren slowly moved. His head turned slightly, and his glazed and sunken eyes focused on Hermione.

He _wants _to eat." Neville muttered, noticing the hunger that was glinting in the vampire's eyes. "But then…why doesn't he?"

"Maybe he can't." Ginny said quietly, moving to stand nearby Neville. Immediately, all eyes but Darren's turned towards her.

"Can't? What do you mean?" Harry asked her.

"Well, maybe he can't, um, drink animal blood." She said, feeling a little awkward as her friends stared at her and a bit sick at the thought if someone drinking blood.

"But that would mean that he would have to drink _human _blood!" Ron yelped, looking a bit green. Harry nodded his head, his eyes focused on Darren, even though he himself was feeling a little bit sick at the thought.

"I think that…we need to do it." Neville said in a voice just above a whisper. Ron turned greener and Hermione paled. Harry kept his face passive even though the statement had surprised him. Ginny nodded slowly, a stubborn look plastered onto her face.

"Who's going to do it?" Hermione asked quietly, ready to volunteer if no one else would.

"I will." Harry answered quietly.

"We all will." Ginny cut in sternly. At the looks she got, the red headed girl sighed, sounding exasperated. "Giving a few drops of blood isn't going to hurt any of us, and it is Darren's life on the line. We can't just sit back and watch him die! And besides-" here she turned towards Hermione, looking nervous. "-my dad said that he heard somewhere that muggles sometimes give their blood in a…um…blood car?"

"A blood drive." Hermione corrected gently. "And yes, they do sometimes."

Ginny nodded, obviously pleased with herself. "We'll have to wait until tonight to do it though." She pointed out. "If one of the Professors or the other students were to see us…well, it would cause some problems." The others agreed and, with long and worried glances behind them, headed back to the castle.

Darren Shan Point of View

Andy had come by. He had begged me to eat when he saw the state I was in. He said that he had heard rumors and tales of what had happened between me and something he kept addressing as a boggart. I ignored him, not truly listening or comprehending what it was he was saying. My stomach had given up its noise-making, given up its warnings of starvation. I vaguely wondered how much longer I could last. _Not too much longer. _Answered a voice. Andy continued to talk and beg, asking what he could do for me and what the real problem was.

A part of me wanted to answer him, to talk with another person (or centaur, as the case may be) instead of those screams and voices inside my head. And yet when I tried to open my mouth, I found that my body was too weak, my throat too dry to make the sounds necessary to reply to my friend. Soon, he left, promising to return as soon as he could.

The day past slowly, almost unnoticeably slow to my dulled senses. Maybe I slept. I'm really not sure. Sometimes later, others came. I could hear them talking to one another, yelling; maybe at me.

Suddenly, the scent of human blood overwhelmed my senses. The bloodlust was back, and stronger than before. It gave me enough strength to move my numbed body. I looked towards the source of the scent, searching desperately despite my own original intentions for the life giving substance. It was strange; after all that I had gone through, the sight of it still turned my stomach a tiny bit. My eyes locked onto the red liquid. It looked oddly beautiful to my depraved body and slightly warped mind.

Soon enough, though, whoever was near me left. They took the scent of fresh blood with them, and with it my momentary desire to live.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello all! First off, I want to apologize for how long it has taken me to put this chapter up! Please forgive me! Next, I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to MONLIGHT-97 for being my 100****th**** reviewer! *dances joyously* for that, you get a virtual cookie and (if you want it) a request for the story. Thanks again!**

**Well, I hope everyone likes this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Darren Shan or Harry Potter. I only claim my OC, Andy. **

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

"_Text book reading"_

Harry Potter Point of View

As soon as the twilight fell across the grounds, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville met up in the Gryffindor common room. There were only a few other students there, namely Fred and George Weasley, who were huddled together in the corner making plans for one prank or another. When they noticed the group, they simply winked and waved them off, sensing their fellow Gryffindors' trouble-making intentions. Without a word, the five left.

They made their way through the corridors, trying to be as quiet as possible. Harry had brought his invisibility cloak, but it was quite obvious that they would be unable to fit all five of them under it. Nonetheless, it was comforting to know it was there, just in case. Miraculously, the Gryffindors somehow managed to make it out of the castle without being caught or seen by anyone but a nosey portrait, who had followed and scolded them for a short while. When she realized the group was ignoring her though, she had given up and left them alone. A sigh of relief escaped all five pairs of lips as they exited the castle. They glanced at one another, silently asking if the other was ready to do this. There was no sign of uncertainty in any eye and so they silently made their way towards the cage.

The cold metal was glinting in the dim light of the rising moon, making their path to it clear. On the dark grounds, nothing stirred but the grass moving slightly in the light breeze. As they neared the cage, though, Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck and arms rise. He could feel eyes on him, coming from the forbidden forest, but he couldn't see what it might be. Quickly, he shook it off. They had work to do; a life to try to save. Finally, they were standing by the bars. Darren looked so small, almost disappearing into the shadows cast by the cage. Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Ron, and Harry all stood silently for a moment, staring in a kind of sick fascination at the vampire boy. It reminded Neville vaguely of his own parents, back when their minds had first been broken; they had not been able to eat, and had been slowly wasting away. Blinking back tears, Neville said "Come on, you lot! We've got to help him _now._"

Awakened by the sudden break in the silence, they all began to move.

"Locomotor Darren." Hermione said, using a spell she had looked up in the library as soon as it had occurred to her that they wouldn't have been able to get to Darren as he was. The vampire was levitated a few inches off the ground and floated towards them. His body was limp, and Harry felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw that the boy's thin chest showed no sign of rising and falling. Beside him, Ginny suppressed a tiny sob and Neville stiffened as they noted the same thing. Hermione's hand was trembling, and she let out a little groan as she leaned on Ron, who rubbed small circles on her back soothingly. His face was emotionless and lips tight, eyes trained on the small body that was moving closer.

Then the boy drew one long, shuddering breath. A relieved sob was heard. "We have to hurry!" Ginny cried, pulling out her own wand and using it to make a cut across her index finger. From the forest, Harry heard a rustling noise like something was nearing them. He ignored it and instead quickly asked Ginny what spell she had used to make the cut. The redhead told him, and he pulled out his wand and made an incision across his own finger.

Hermione had moved Darren so that he lay on his back, practically pressed up against the bar. She kneeled down and reached through the bars to gently open his mouth. Ron kneeled beside her, arm still around her trembling form despite the obvious blush that was turning his ears red. Ginny put her non-bleeding hand on the older girl's shoulder. Hermione looked up at her with watery eyes and Ginny motioned for her and Ron to stand. They obliged and Ginny, Neville, and Harry took their place.

"Make sure-**sob**- that you d-don't let his m-m-mouth touch your c-cut." Hermione told them, her voice trembling as she put her wand to her finger and then to Ron's. "He's a v-vampire, and I'm not s-sure how people are turned, so we've got to be careful."

"We're all nutters." Ron muttered dryly at her comment, but still moved forward to give his own blood to the vampire. If she had heard him, the bushy haired witch made no indication of it. As they reached their hands through the bars, a second if uncertainty made the five children hesitate. That is, until Neville let out a small growl, reached into the cage with his other hand, held Darren's mouth open with one hand, and made sure that a few drops of blood dribbled into the boy's open mouth.

Immediately, Darren stirred, if only slightly. Harry put his hand above Darren's face and squeezed his finger to allow a steady trail of blood escape it into the vampire's mouth. Ron went next, and then Hermione, and finally Ginny. The effects were almost immediate, even if they were only slight.

"Crepsley, what're…." he mumbled, his words slurred and quiet. His mouth was stained red with blood and his cheeks were a little flushed. He looked better, though, and the small group that was hovering worriedly by his side let out a sigh of relief. The boy continued to mutter unintelligibly as Neville questioned uncertainly "Should we…give him more?" the others were silent, wondering if a vampire could have too _much _blood. Finally, Harry nodded slowly and reached out to drip more blood into Darren's mouth, which was quivering and moving rapidly as he spoke to someone who wasn't there. As soon as the blood reached it's target, Darren's eyes flew open. Lightning quick, his hand darted up to grab Harry's wrist.

"DAMN IT, CREPSLEY! I TOLD YOU TO NEVER-" he froze, slightly glazed eyes focusing first on the wrist he was gripping, and then moving up to the face of the boy who the wrist was a part of. Darren blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. His eyes lit up dimly with recognition. "Harry Potter…." He whispered, head cocking to one side in obvious confusion. Slowly, his grip weakened, and he fell back to the grass as the adrenaline that had allowed him that much strength drained away. Harry extracted his hand from the bars and examined it, shocked to find five crescent moon shaped cuts from Darren's untrimmed finger nails. Darren noticed him examining his hand, and let out a bitter laugh. "You're lucky that's the only wound you got." He stated matter-of-factly.

Darren Shan Point of View

It was true; if I had been as strong as I usually was, his wrist would have been snapped instead of just getting a few little cuts. I didn't bother to elaborate since it would take too much energy, and already I was beginning to feel sick and my head was spinning. From my position on the ground, I had to work a little to focus my eyes enough to see past the bespectacled boy in front of me and to the people standing behind him. I could make out four slightly blurry figures, but that was all. Not exactly surprising considering that, for the moment, my eyesight wasn't much better than a human's.

"What were you doing?" I demanded, turning my gaze back to Harry. He flinched a little, and I wondered briefly if I really looked all that frightening.

"We were trying to keep you alive, Darren." Said another voice, answering my question before Harry could. The one who spoke stepped closer to stand by Harry, and they came into my line of sight. It was a boy. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place how I recognized him.

"Who are you?" I questioned, not quite politely. He didn't seem to mind, either that or he simply didn't notice.

"Neville Longbottom." The boy answered calmly.

"Right, well, that still doesn't answer my question. What were you doing?"

"Um…." The boy didn't seem to know how to answer the question. The others remained silent.

"Oh, for heaven sake!" came an exasperated cry. Hermione broke through to the front of the small group. "We were feeding you, Darren. You were dying, and we were feeding you!"

I stared up at her, eyes wide, before a small mirthless laugh escaped my lips. Those I could see gave me a confused look, and I could easily guess that the others did as well.

"What are you-?" Harry began, but I cut him off.

"You're just like Crepsley." I sighed, looking away from them. "He tried the same thing."

"Crepsley…why does that name sound so familiar?" I heard Hermione muttering to herself.

"Who's Crepsley?" Harry asked me, eyes alight with curiosity and confusion. "You've mentioned him before."

I narrowed my eyes, contemplating whether or not to tell them the truth. Harry flinched back, and I briefly was left to wonder, once again, if these wizards _really _believed that I was that dangerous. At that thought, I decided that it was better to follow Andy's advice and not tell them too much. He probably knew more about this kind of stuff than I did. However, I _did _owe them at least a little bit of the truth. They saved me, and now, for whatever reason, I realized that I didn't really want to die. I wasn't even sure why I had been acting like that in the first place.

"Mr. Crepsley is the vampire that turned me into…um…a vampire." I said, stuttering near the end because I wasn't sure whether or not wizards knew anything about half-vampires. "He's the one who I've been living with ever since."

"Why would you let him change you?" asked another person. I recognized her voice as that red haired girl from before, Ginny. She sounded both fascinated and horrified at the same time. Harry looked back towards her.

"He blackmailed me." I answered simply. There was _no way _I was going to go into detail about it!

"Then why would you stay with him? Why didn't you just run away?" she asked.

"I wouldn't have been able to survive without him." I answered bitterly. "My family thought I was dead, and my best friend…." I trailed off. I _really _didn't want to talk about this right now! Turning away, I saw the animal carcasses in the corner.

"If you're squeamish, I'd suggest you leave now." I stated, and then began to crawl towards the animals since my body was still too weak to stand up.

"What are you…oh. Oh! Ew." One of them said as I cut the animal and began to feed. I wasn't paying enough attention to know which said it. When I looked back up, I saw with a bit of shock that all five of them were still there. I grinned at them, the sadistic side of me showing for just a moment as I laughed at their expressions when they saw my blood stained teeth.

Just as I opened my mouth to say something vampire-ish to them, I heard a sound. Cocking my head to the side, I strained my dulled hearing so that I could understand whatever was being said. Or rather, screamed.

"Who's Sirius Black?" I asked the people who were gathered around my cage.

"S-Sirius Black?" squeaked a new voice, who I placed as the other red head, Ron.

"Yes, Sirius Black." I said in a slightly mocking tone. "Some lady is screaming something about him being in the castle."

Immediately, the five stiffened. "Harry, you don't think that he could actually be-"

"I don't know, but we have to get back there now!"

And with that, they began to run. I stared at their retreating forms. As soon as they were out of sight, I shrugged and was about to turn back to the rabbit that I held when I saw an enormous black dog dart out of the darkness and into the forest. A chill ran down my spine. For some reason, I was beginning to have a _very _bad feeling about all of this….

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	16. Chapter 16

**Alrighty! Here's the next chapter! Be forewarned-a few characters will be OOC, but that is because of the situation they are in and how I think that they may have reacted to it. Not much else for me to say, other than to thank everyone for the amazing reviews :) Please remember to continue with them! **

"Speaking"

"**Sounds"**

"_Thinking"_

"_Text-book"_

Harry Potter Point of View

The five friends dashed up to the castle, tripping over one another and their own feet. They reached the castle just as the enormous front doors began to swing shut, the locks already clicking and preparing to engage.

"Wait!" Ginny cried, and they ran faster, managing to slip inside the doors just before they slammed shut. As one, they let out a sigh of relief. That relief, however, changed to fear when they heard someone clear their throat behind them. Slowly, they turned to face… Professor McGonagall. The look on her face was enough to make the brave Gryffindors tremble.

"Come with me." Her voice was as cold and sharp as an ice crystal. She turned and began to walk, not even looking over her shoulder to make sure her students were following. Her steps were brisk and loud in the quiet corridors. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Neville followed behind in a terse, wary kind of silence. All thoughts of Sirius Black were washed from their minds, instead replaced by the ideas of being expelled from Hogwarts and of how much trouble they were going to get in. However, they soon realized that they weren't heading for Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Professor, what's going on?" Hermione asked, her brow crinkling in confusion as she realized that they had stopped in front of the entrance to the Great Hall. "Why are we here?"

"I have no time for this right now." the professor said, and for the first time, Harry realized how tired and nervous she seemed. "You will be _severely _dealt with later, but for now you five must _stay put._ Go find your House and stay with your classmates." The older witch said harshly. She pulled out her wand, muttered a few quiet spells, and stepped back as the doors swung inwards. The occupants of the hall went silent immediately, every face turned towards the newcomers. It was an eerie kind of quiet that was brought on by tension and fear, instead of the usual curious stares.

As Harry took the first step forwards into the hall, with the others following close behind, their footsteps echoed loudly in the enormous hall. Looking around at the faces that stared up at them, Harry noted that the usual long tables and benches were gone and that in their place were many, many sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets. Finally, the quiet was interrupted by one person turning to the other to whisper something in their ear. Soon, the entire place was buzzing again.

Theories and rumors flew from person to person, some about how Sirius Black could have gotten into the castle and what he could possibly want, and others about what the famous Harry Potter and his friends might have been up to. Harry ignored the latter ones, but was particularly interested in the ones about Black despite already knowing what the criminal was truly after.

The Great Hall had finally quieted down, with only a few whispers or giggles that were quieted almost immediately by the patrolling teachers and Head Boys and Girls. Harry was lying quietly, too wrapped up in his thoughts to get any rest, when he felt a sharp jab in his side. Letting out a little hiss of pain, he turned to face the person who had done it.

"Harry, do you think that Darren is alright?" Neville asked the bespectacled boy. Harry looked thoughtful for a moment before he slowly nodded his head. "But…how do you know?" Neville muttered, his eyes widening a little bit.

"Because I don't think that the ministry would want anything bad to happen to him. Plus, he's in that cage and it is hard to get into." Harry told him, making a slight face at the mention of the ministry and at the memory of burning flesh. Neville didn't look convinced, but nodded his head anyways.

"Harry, do you think-"

"_**SShhhhhh!" **_ somebody hissed at them.

Neville fell silent, eyes darting towards the source of the noise a little nervously before whispering even more quietly "Do you think we will be able to talk to him again?"

Harry didn't know how to truthfully answer him. Luckily, he didn't have to because at that moment, it was Snape who drew near to them to silence them. At the hook-nosed teacher's approach, Neville immediately went silent except for the few quiet whimpers that escaped his throat. Harry heaved a quiet sigh, but he, too, turned over in an attempt at sleep.

Darren Shan Point of View

That feeling was back. The terrible guilt and the sense of hopelessness; I knew that I really just deserved to dies, after the terrible things I had done. In my mind, the cries of Sam and the howls of the Wolf man echoed. I could hear the sounds of my parents and of Annie crying and begging for me not to be dead. I could hear Steve's words and accusations. It felt as if my soul was being swallowed by darkness.

The sane part of me screamed to me that these feelings weren't natural. I could practically feel that they were caused by the strange, dark creatures that were swarming across the grounds, drawing ever nearer to my cage. But my body just didn't seem to respond to this rationality. It was the worst kind of feeling.

My eyes closed. Now a few of the creatures floated by my cage, a rancid smell emitting from their beings. I almost gagged, simultaneously choking on my own tears.

They were so close, and now I was choking on something else.

What is it?

So close.

Choking.

Cold….

Why?

"_Expecto patronus!_" a voice yelled, right near me and yet so far away. So far away….

But I was feeling warmer, and I wasn't choking anymore. That was good, wasn't it? It had felt like death, but I surely wasn't dead. My eyes were still closed when I felt a gentle touch. Slowly, I opened them to gaze curiously at the newcomer. It was a man with graying hair and a young face. He was smiling warmly but cautiously, one hand on my arm while in the other hand he held something that smelled like…chocolate? I gazed up at him with wide eyes, confused and uncertain about who he was or what he wanted, and whether or not he had done something weird to the offered sweet.

"It's chocolate. If you eat it, it will help you to feel better." He told me gently, moving the piece closer to me. My stomach growled, and that was the deciding factor. At that point, I didn't care if he was trying to poison or trick me. Chocolate meant food, and I was hungry- starving even. I devoured it, ignoring the man's cautioning about how I should eat it slowly.

"You wouldn't happen to have anything else to eat, would you?" I asked him hopelessly as I licked my fingers and lips. He had been right about it helping me to feel better. The man stared down at me, eyebrows raised. I sighed and said quietly "I need human food _and _blood to survive."

The man 'hm'd thoughtfully. "I don't have anything else on me at the moment, but I can bring you something in the morning."

"Really? But what do you want for it?" I demanded suspiciously, eyeing the strange man in front of me.

He was silent for a moment, but finally said "Although I _would _appreciate some information, I'm not going to withhold what you need to live for it."

I didn't want to believe him, but something about him made it hard not to trust him. I had no idea what it was, but I felt an odd kinship with this strange person. "Who are you?" I questioned.

"My name is Remus. Remus Lupin. May I ask what your name is?" he responded (too politely, in my opinion). Something told me that Lupin and Crepsley would get along great if they ever met.

"I'm Darren."

"Just Darren?" he asked, seeming honestly curious.

"Just Darren." I confirmed seriously. Before he could say anything else, I asked "What was going on up there?" and motioned towards the castle.

Lupin appraised me for a moment before saying "There's a killer on the loose, Darren. Although I doubt he will bother you, I would suggest you be cautious."

"And how should I do that?" I questioned dryly, rattling the bars of my cage a little bit and earning myself a burnt hand. Lupin just shook his head a little, seeming unsure himself. He sighed and told me that he had to leave, but promised to be back the next morning. As he began to make his way back to the castle, I saw him gaze upwards.

I followed his gaze, but all that I saw was the almost-full moon. Brushing it off as just some wizard quirk, I turned instead to try and figure out how to get rid of one of the slightly rotting animal carcasses. I made a face at it, and briefly wondered if the big guy that had been leaving them there thought that I was some kind of an animal that would eat rotting meat. Well I suppose, for me, it was more like he thought I would drink bad blood. Scoffing a little bit at the idea, I attempted to shove the stiff body through the bars.

My stomach growled, and from the forest I heard a long, low howl. Something told me that this was going to be a _long _night….

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	17. Chapter 17

**Hey there! For this chapter, please keep in mind that-at this point- Darren knows nothing of the Vampaneze.**

**Please consider this chapter a (slightly late, by *checks watch and says dryly* 31 minutes) Christmas present to you all. Please make sure to return the favors through your awesome reviews! ;) Thanks a ton. Hope you all like! **

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

"_Text-book"_

Darren Shan Point of View

When I woke up the next morning, the sky was grey and the unmistakable scent of rain permeated the air. Lupin wasn't there. I waited for a long while, but there was no sign of him. I was just about ready to give up when I smelled a slightly familiar scent, and all of a sudden he was there, a small smile on his lips. And (thanks be to whatever gods might be out there!) he was carrying a large sack, which the unmistakable smell of food was coming from.

"Hello Darren. I hope you are doing well." He greeted, his polite statement sounding more like a question. I didn't answer, too distracted by the mouthwatering scent to pay much attention to such trivial things as manners. "Here." He chuckled, kneeling by my cage to deposit the contents of the sack. I reached out and took them, shoveling the various goods into my mouth. I don't think I ever tasted anything as good! "Slow down or else you're going to get sick." Lupin cautioned me. The only acknowledgement I gave his comment was a glare and a (very) slight decrease in my speed.

Lupin watched me in silence for a time, waiting until I had to stop for a breath before he spoke. "How are you acquainted with Mr. Larten Crepsley?"

I froze. "I don't know what you're talking about." I lied through clenched teeth. _How does he know about him?_

"The Boggart, Darren." He said, answering my unspoken question. "I recognized him."

"You mean you've met Crepsley before?" I asked, eyes wide and brow furrowed. Then I realized my slip-up. "Um, I mean…eh…."

Lupin laughed good-naturedly. "I met the man quite a few years back, when I was much younger. His is a face one never quite forgets."

I nodded, sighing a bit, then questioned "And did you know what he is when you met him? I mean, that he's a vampire and everything?" Lupin nodded calmly, blue eyes a bit sad. "How'd you meet him?"

"That is something that I would rather not talk about. However-" the man's eyes were suddenly alight with mischief. "-if you would be willing to swap stories, it could be just our little secret." He looked curious and a bit hopeful, eyes boring straight into mine. I appraised him thoughtfully for a bit. My curiosity was gnawing away at my insides, and finally I caved.

"Fine!" I growled. He didn't flinch. "But first you have to tell me everything you know about vampires." I commanded.

Lupin looked surprised by my demand at first, but then a small, knowing smile lit up his face. He nodded and said "I understand, Darren." Then he launched into a long explanation of what wizards and witches believed about vampires. By the end of his speech, I could barely contain myself. It took all the willpower I possessed not to literally roll across the grass clutching my sides in laughter. The 'Magical Community' as he sometimes referred to it, had a few things right (such as how vampires are blooded), but most of it was dead wrong. According to them, some vampires (Subspecies type 2, as he called them) actually had purple skin! It was completely ridiculous in my opinion.

"From the expression on your face, I'd guess that a lot of our information is incorrect?" Lupin asked with a smile. Quickly, I did my best to compose myself, and told him that he was totally correct about everything, keeping Andy's warning in mind. Obviously, he didn't believe me, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he asked me if I would tell him my story. I considered it for a moment, and then nodded.

I launched myself into a much shortened and highly edited version of what had been happening to me over the last few months, making sure to make a few things more bloodied and gruesome than they had actually been-just to see the expressions on the poor man's face. I made sure to add in the strange, purple-skinned vampires once or twice, basing how they might have acted on what Lupin had mentioned about them and also on a few of my favorite comic book villains. When I mentioned having to fake my own death and experience my own funeral, Lupin's eyes grew sad and full of pity. I made a face and continued with the story.

"I drained Sam after the Wolfman did that to him. He was alive, but…he wasn't really. I carry s-some of his…soul, I guess, around with me now." I whispered through my tears, holding a hand to my chest. "I ran away after that. I guess I just didn't want to face myself. But then a bunch of people-wizards or witches, I guess- attacked me and I was knocked unconscious or something. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in this stupid cage." I finished my tale bitterly. Suddenly, I was angry with myself. It was a stupid move to tell him all that! "You're not going to really keep what I just told you a secret, are you."

Slowly, Lupin shook his head. "I'm sorry Darren, but the headmaster needs to be told about all of this." And the strange thing was that he actually _was _sorry. I nodded silently, looking away. There was silence between us for a long time, broken only by the fierce winds that assaulted my heightened senses, before the man said quietly "I think that you're a very brave and noble young man, Darren. And, if you still want to hear it, I would be honored to tell you my story."

I nodded, almost reluctantly. Although I was admittedly upset with Lupin, for some reason I couldn't quite bring myself to hate him, nor could I ignore my ever present curiosity.

"When I was very young, there was a werewolf by the name of Fenrir Greyback." He began.

Harry Potter Point of View

"What do you think they're talking about?" Ron whispered, staring curiously out towards Darren's cage, where Professor Lupin was currently sitting. Immediately after breakfast, the professor had left the hall, carrying with him a sack. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had followed him, hoping not to be noticed. They could tell that something was up, but weren't sure what it might have been. Imagine their surprise when they saw their favorite teacher unloading food from the pack to a certain vampire boy!

Because of the whistling wind that promised bad weather, the trio had been unable to hear any of the conversation between the two other than a few snippets when the wind changed direction and blew the words towards them.

"Let's go inside." Hermione sighed after a while. "If we're caught out here, we could get even _more _detention."

Her two friends paled, and hurried to follow her back up towards the castle. The five Gryffindors had been allotted five hours of detention each, as well as the loss of 25 house points per person-a staggering total of 125 points! Needless to say, their fellow housemates were _not _happy. The Slytherins were another story….

Well, Harry was just glad that he hadn't been kicked off the Quidditch team or something equally as awful, that way he could get his frustration out in the upcoming match against the green and silver serpents. Although, Professor McGonagall _had _suggested that he be removed from the team for his own protection, he had managed to dissuade her from the idea. He would be allowed to continue, as long as Madame Hooch was present at all the Gryffindor practices.

Later in the day, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny were given the news that their detention would be pushed back for another week. They weren't given the details as to why. Over the next week, Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team was driven to practice twice as hard as usual under the ever watchful eyes of Madame Hooch. As such, Darren rarely crossed his mind. Hermione was a whole different story, though. She was almost constantly worried, and as the weather grew steadily worse, she would spontaneously burst into tears at the thought of the poor vampire boy alone, cold, and wet outside in his metal prison. However, she and the rest of the group had been unable to escape the castle for a long enough period of time to visit Darren.

One day, when a particularly loud and chilly gust of wind blew through the castle, chilling its residents and making the poor girl let loose another round of waterworks, Professor McGonagall finally took her to the side and questioned her in a surprisingly gentle voice about what the problem was. When the bushy haired witch explained (a bit hesitantly, since she was well aware of how much trouble 'secretly' sneaking out to see Darren could get her in) the elder witch had been too surprised to respond at first.

"I'm a little startled that you and your friends hadn't noticed it yet, but Professor Lupin has been visiting…Darren. I myself cast a charm over the cage to make certain that no rain could get inside. Professor Lupin has also been taking him food and blankets, as well as other comforts." She explained.

"Why does Darren need food?" Hermione questioned, brow furrowing. "All of the books said that vampires need only blood."

"Well, it seem as if some of the research done on former specimens was incorrect." The Professor said. _"If the fools had bothered to keep those poor creatures alive, they would have known that." _She silently added, anger lacing the thought. Hermione stared up at her Transfiguration Professor with wide, red rimmed eyes, before she nodded slowly, wiped her tears, and thanked the woman. She left, feeling much happier than she had for several days, vowing to thank the sickly professor the next time she saw him.

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	18. Chapter 18

**Hello to you all! Before we get started, I want to send out a special thank you to Thistle-Wisper for being the 150****th**** reviewer! As such, you shall receive a virtual cupcake and any request you may have. ;) Use it wisely. Heh heh heh…. **

**Um, anywhodywho! So, I am currently writing this at 2:17 AM on a schoolnight, so please forgive any mistakes. Thanks a bunch, and please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer- Not mine**

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

Darren Shan Point of View

Lupin came to visit me almost every day, bringing me food and a bunch of other things. He would sit outside of my cage and answer my questions about magic and about himself. It was probably because of the whole 'changed against my will' thing, but I felt a kind of…kinship with him. Maybe respect, but I wasn't about to tell him that!

He never stayed long since he had classes he had to teach, but it was long enough. At least I didn't feel like I was going to go _completely _insane anymore. Not that I was totally alone- there was still Andy, but he didn't come around too much anymore. He mentioned something about "unrest amongst the Centaur Elders" the last time he had come by. That had opened up a whole new list of questions, but I never got any answers. With Andy, I wasn't exactly surprised at the lack of answers. He was even more tight lipped than Crepsley!

"Darren, are you awake?" came a hushed voice, interrupting my thoughts. My head snapped up. I couldn't see the source of the noise, but I could certainly smell them- all three of them.

"I'm awake." I answered back loudly, and was immediately **shushed**. I grinned and stared at the place their scent was coming from. In a slight shimmer, Harry pulled a long cloak off to reveal them all. "Hello Hermione, Ron, Harry."

"Hello Darren. How have you been doing?" Hermione answered quickly, getting straight to the point. The bushy haired girl looked worried and tired, her eyes anxiously scanning over me. It was a bit creepy.

"I've been better. Still stuck in the cage, but I'll survive." I answered dryly.

"That's not what I meant." She snapped, but the anxiety drained away from her features. She nodded once, satisfied with my appearance. "You seem like you're doing much better." She said after a moment. I nodded once in affirmation and she breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, I was worried. We heard that Professor Lupin has been coming out here…?"

"Yeah, he has been. And he's been bringing me all sorts of things." I told them, motioning at a drained fox that I had been unable to fit through the bars of the cage yet. How the wizards had managed to get it inside in the first place was a mystery to me. Hermione made a face while Ron turned a little green around the edges. I laughed out loud, thinking momentarily that teasing these guys was almost as amusing as teasing Annie had been…. I suddenly felt sober again. With a sigh, I turned my attention away from the trio and began counting the little scratch marks on the ground. I scowled when I counted them. I had been in this hell hole of a cage for more than a month!

_"Where the _hell _is Crepsley?" _I thought angrily, momentarily forgetting my audience. "He should have been here by now…" When I glanced back up, I was surprised to see how worried and tense looking they had become.

"Are…are you alright there, mate?" Ron questioned me. His face was pale, and the freckles on it stood out in surprising contrast.

"Yeah, just great." I muttered.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked, readjusting his glasses. "Who should have been here?"

I eyed him suspiciously; I hadn't realized that I had spoken that out loud. "My mentor." I answered him after a brief contemplation. Lupin had already told the Headmaster or whoever everything anyways, so it was no use hiding.

"Mentor?"

"Yeah, the vampire that blooded me." I muttered, my head dropping as I pinched the bridge of my nose in hopes to ward off whatever headache this discussion might bring on. At the shocked gasp, I glanced up at Hermione. Her attention, however, wasn't focused entirely on me, but instead on the castle. A wry smile twitched at my lips. "If you three want to know more, I'd say go talk to your professor." And with that, I turned my back on them and lay my head down again, intent on taking a nap sometime before midnight. Soon enough, they left and I was alone again.

Harry Potter Point of View

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Ron demanded as she pulled her two best friends through the castle's corridors.

"Our detention! I had completely forgotten about it." she almost yelled back at him, moving a bit quicker as she did so. "By this point we might miss it."

Understanding struck the two boys, and, after sharing a quick, worried glance, they hurried to catch up with the witch. By the time they found the right room, they were out of breath from sprinting through the halls. Harry, who was the first to reach the room, flung the doors open, fearing who might be the professor in charge of their detention. _"Not Snape, not Snape, please not Snape." _He prayed silently.

"Hello you three. Nice of you to join us." Greeted a quiet voice, and Harry let out a relieved sigh. Remus Lupin was seated behind his desk, a stern look set on his face, but a smile in his eyes. Ginny and Neville were already in the room. Ginny smiled at Harry while Neville gave the group a shy little wave.

"We're sorry professor." Harry apologized quickly. The trio moved quickly to settle down in the three desks that were obviously put out for them. "We were…um…held up."

Professor Lupin raised an eyebrow, but Harry didn't say anything more. There was silence for a good 15 minutes as the professor worked on some paperwork while the five students sat silently, working on their own homework or eyes wandering around the room. Finally, Harry broke the quiet with an abrupt question. "Professor, what do you know about Darren?"

Lupin glanced up from the papers he was reading, eyebrows raising. All five of the students were now looking intently at him, eyes wide and hopeful. The man sighed quietly, shuffling and organizing the papers before he spoke. "Have you been to see Darren?"

Hesitantly, the golden trio nodded. Lupin appraised them as he asked "And what did he say?"

"Well, sir, he mentioned a vampire named Crepsley and said that he was the one that blooded him. Then he said to ask you." Hermione supplied nervously. The professor thought for a moment, fingers tapping lightly at his desk, before saying quietly "Darren's story is very personal, and can also be quite disturbing at some points. Are you certain that you wish to hear it?"

Five heads nodded simultaneously. It might have been funny at any other moment, but in that instant it only showed how intense the subject was. Seeing the determination in the young faces that stared back at him, Lupin slowly began Darren's story.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello all! Thanks for all your awesome reviews! I'm really sorry for how short the last chapter was, and also how long it has been taking me to update. As I've stated before…school is kicking my butt. Anyone know a good Algebra II teacher…? *Awkward silence* anyways…please enjoy this chapter!**

**WARNINGS! PLEASE READ!- Alright, so I know that people were looking forward to knowing Harry, Hermione, Ron, etc…'s reactions to Darren's story, but unfortunately I'm having writer's block on that subject, so I'm going to do a lovely little time skip! We are going to be magically transported to the future. The big Quidditch match has already happened, the detentions are over, Harry has already learned how to do his Patronus, etc, etc, etc. Alright? If I get inspiration later on, I will write and post the gang's reactions and the rest after the entire story is over as a little special. : )**

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything but the plot!**

"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

"**Sounds"**

"_**Flashbacks"**_

Larten Crepsley

Flashback One

_** There was no scent! How was it possible…? The boy couldn't have just disappeared like that! **_

_** Larten searched through the trees until he came upon a strange scent. It made his nose sting a tiny bit. He recognized it-magic. He felt his heart become heavy. If the magic users had Darren, then…. Larten shook his head quickly to dispel the thought before it could form completely. He **_**would **_**find his apprentice, no matter what. As much as he loathed to admit it, he had become somewhat attached to the boy. Quickly, he went to Mr. Tall, who was overseeing the Little People as they buried that Sam boy, and told him of what he suspected had transpired. Mr. Tall stared down at the vampire for a long moment, his eyes almost sad as he thought the situation over. **_

_** "You wish to search for him." He said matter of factly. Larten nodded mutely. Mr. Tall blinked slowly before nodding too, and turning his back to the vampire as he walked away. That was all the dismissal that Larten needed. **_

_** He headed back to his tent, packing up the things he needed. As he was doing this, he heard a quiet noise come from the entrance. He looked up to see Evra, his snake resting lazily across his shoulders. **_

"_**Is there something you need, Evra?" he asked quietly and quickly, eager to be on his way.**_

_**The snake boy seemed to hesitate, nervous under Larten's steely gaze. Finally, he cleared his throat and managed to choke out "If there's something wrong with Darren, then I-" **_

"_**Darren is missing." Larten said swiftly, eyes never wavering from Evra's even as his hands continued to work. Evra's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. It moved soundlessly for a long second, and the snake boy looked more like a fish.**_

"_**What do you mean 'missing'?" he managed to squeak.**_

_**Quickly, the vampire explained to the young man all that had happened. There was silence and Larten went back to the task of gathering his supplies. What came next he did not expect.**_

"_**I'm coming to help you look for him, Mr. Crepsley!"**_

_**Larten's head snapped up to stare in well concealed surprise at the boy's words. When he managed to gather his wits about him, the scarred vampire said firmly "No, Evra, you shall not." **_

_**Evra argued against him on the matter. Every second he was faced with the snake boy's scared, determined eyes and set jaw, Larten found his resolve wavering. **_

"_**You truly care for him, don't you." He sighed, too quiet for the other occupant of his dwelling to hear, then he raised his voice and said "If you are willing to speak with Mr. Tall on this matter, and if he approves of it, then you may come. Be ready before nightfall."**_

_**Before the next twilight, Larten Crepsley and Evra Von were gone from the Cirque and searching for a lead to find the lost apprentice.**_

_** Almost two weeks had passed before they found any leads. Every day as he rested, Larten would berate himself, wondering why it was that he was going to such lengths to find one silly apprentice who, quite honestly, wasn't even the best at his job. Not to mention the idiotic idea to bring along a scale covered boy and his pet snake. **_

_** "There's nothing you can do about it now." he told himself, trying to keep it all together. He was worried and he was tired. Caring for yet **_**another **_**child was hard enough work without also having to spend all of his spare time searching for the impossible-to-find traces of magic that would lead him to his answers. **_

_**He was finally able to find some of the traces outside of a dirty pub somewhere in London. He entered, telling Evra to wait back at the motel they had been staying in for a few days, and surveyed the scene in front of him. The place was about half way filled, and people from every walk of life seemed to occupy it. Pulling his cape a little closer around himself, he walked to the bar, being sure to mentally make a note of every possible exit in case of an emergency. He had never had much interaction with **_**these**_**types of magic users, and wasn't sure what to expect. The bartender came to Larten, a crooked smile on his lips. **_

_** "What can I get you?" he questioned calmly, even as his eyes darted across the vampire's form. Larten could feel the man looking him over and almost felt the tension leave the air as the man accepted his presence as just another customer. **_

_** Scanning his eyes quickly down the bar in a move that was far too quick for any human to see, he motioned idly towards the man about halfway down from him. "I'll just have what he has." He answered lazily. The bartender nodded and moved to make the drink. As he did so, Larten questioned him casually about trivial things. When the man visibly began to relax in the red haired vampire's presence, Larten finally got to the subject he had been searching for answers about for weeks. **_

_** "Have you heard anything about the vampire that was captured?" he asked lazily, glancing up from his cooling drink. The bartender stiffened for a moment. **__"He knows something." __**Larten thought, prepared for a confrontation if it was necessary. The man, however, soon relaxed and let out a chuckle. **_

_** "Course I know 'bout that." He said, eyes crinkling up around the corners as he smiled widely. "Me sister works for the Ministry and she seems to be unable to speak 'bout anything else lately!" **_

_** Larten let a smile work its way onto his face. "As does my cousin, but he won't give me any details. I believe that he simply enjoys teasing me." the bartender nodded sympathetically. "Do you think you could…?" Larten trailed off, pouring as much eager hopefulness into the question as he dared so as to make it seem as nothing more than innocent. **_

_** The other man seemed to consider it for a moment as he absently scrubbed the inside of a glass with a fairly clean striped cloth. "Aye, I don' think there'd be any harm in it." He finally decided. He motioned for Crepsley to come closer. He leaned in, and the bartender began his tale. **_

Darren Shan Point of View

Present Time

My time in my own personal hell wasn't as bad as it could have been. Although I couldn't move around a lot and I was basically stuck in one small area (hell for me!), I _did _have people that came and visited me. It was just a few people, but somehow they always seemed to have one interesting story or another to tell. The one who always had the most interesting tales to tell seemed to be the strange blonde girl, Luna. Although the others had cool stories about some weird guy with a weird name (that most of them refused to say), Luna's stories just had some special quality about them. I think that maybe it is because her voice reminded me of my mom's whenever she was in one of her really thoughtful moods. It was strange how much these magical kids could remind me of my old life, from before I had ever even heard of the _Cirque. _

Ginny's temper made me laugh because it reminded me of Annie whenever she would have one of her mini-tantrums, and Neville's fascination with plants reminded me of my dad. Harry's eyes were like Annie's, and whenever something angered Ron enough, he could pull a couple of Steve-worthy actions. Hermione's love of reading made me think of my mom. Although it made me sad at times, it was also refreshing to have the little reminders of home.

When those six didn't come to visit me, I usually saw either Lupin or Andy. Lupin was a strange man, but I liked him all the same, even despite the fact he was basically just a smarter version of the Wolf Man.

When I said so to Andy one night, the centaur looked at me for a long moment, his eyes boring into me. He seemed almost to be upset for a moment and I couldn't help but squirm uneasily. I wondered vaguely if someone would bother to send me to a doctor if they found me with an arrow stuck in me. I certainly hope so!

"Darren, if he is your friend, why do you compare him to such an animal?" Andy had finally asked, looking away as though he had been personally offended. I stared up at him, mouth hanging open as I tried to come up with an answer that might be deemed suitable while still being technically honest. Before I could say anything, Andy had stood and shook out his haunches before disappearing into the forest. He never made a sound, despite his four large hooves.

"I shall be back soon, Darren. I look forward to speaking to you then." He called from somewhere within the trees.

I groaned and fell back upon the slightly damp grass. Unable to fall asleep, I began carving random pictures into the dirt and into the metal of my cage. When I grew bored of that, I tried instead to peer outside of the bars to try and get a clearer view of the stars. From within the forest, a commotion was being made by something that I probably had never seen or even heard of before.

Sudden thoughts of the giant spider that Ron and Harry had told me about just a few days earlier filled my head. I felt a sudden thrill of excitement, and began to wish that the spider would come out of the forest so that I could get the chance to see it. Absently, I wondered if the creature could possibly be even more mesmerizing than Madame Octa. I shivered in hopeful pleasure at the mere thought of it.

For the rest of the night, I stared hopefully towards the dark trees in hopes to maybe get a glance at the enormous spider or even just one of his many children. To my immense disappointment, when the first lights of dawn broke over the tree tops I had yet to see _any _signs of _any _spiders.

Disappointed and surprisingly tired, I somehow managed to make myself comfortable in the grass again. Before I succumbed to the comfortable darkness that was lapping at the edges of my vision, I could have sworn that I could hear a _very _familiar voice calling out to me through the trees….


	20. Chapter 20

"Talking"

"**Sounds"**

"_Thinking"_

"_**Flashbacks"**_

Evra Von

Flashback Two

_**It had taken time, but the redheaded vampire had finally managed to locate the school called Hogwarts. Mr. Crepsley and Evra had taken up residence in the small town that bordered the school's grounds. The two were staying in a small Inn. At first, Crepsley had been uncertain if they would be able to get away with the deception. After all, most normal mortals didn't travel dressed in cloaks that covered their entire figures and faces, nor did most have a large snake that lounged comfortably across their shoulders. Apparently, though, in the so called "Magical Community", such things did not raise suspicions. **_

_** "You have any luck with that young friend of yours?" asked a quiet voice. Evra glanced up quickly, shocked out of his thoughts by the question. He cleared his throat and looked back down at his Butter Beer. Very slowly, he shook his head sadly. The other man grunted sympathetically. "Well, I'm sure that he'll show up sooner or later." **_

_** "Thanks. I'm sure you're right." He responded, although his voice wasn't nearly as confident as it had been when they had first arrived at the Inn. The older man 'Hm'd' thoughtfully as he stared down at the hooded figure. Although he had never seen the boy's face, it was easy enough to tell that the boy was young by his voice. **_

_** "So you never did tell me-what did ya' do t' yer face?" he asked suddenly. Evra gasped and choked, sputtering on the liquid that he had been swallowing. **_

_** "W-what?" he finally managed to gasp out.**_

_** The old bartender shrugged and stated matter-of-factly "A person don't cover his face like you do 'less he's got somethin' ta hide." **_

_** Evra stayed silent, and if one could have seen his face, they would have seen the pensive expression he had taken. After a moment, the old man shrugged and turned back to what he had been doing before. **_

_** The long hours of the day passed by very slowly. Evra wanted to go out and search for Darren himself, but Crepsley had absolutely forbidden it, saying that it was far too risky to do such a thing. Begrudgingly, Evra had agreed. After all, the witches and wizards (or whatever) had kidnapped Darren! Who knows what they might do to a snake boy. Evra grimaced at the thought and scooted a little farther from the magic-user that was seated on a stool a little to his right. The snake boy downed the rest of his drink, then stood. **_

_** After paying and thanking the bartender, he headed for the front door; the little pub was beginning to become much too crowded for Evra's liking. Shuffling across the room, he accidentally bumped into a small group, knocking over one of the girls. Evra gasped and bent down to help the girl up, cheeks heating up with embarrassment. **_

_** "'Mione! You alright?" cried one of the boys. Evra couldn't help thinking that he was being a little too overdramatic. **_

_** "I'm fine, Ronald." The girl said, sounding a tad bit dazed. Once she was on her feet, she shook herself and quickly apologized to Evra. **_

_** "It was my fault." He replied sincerely. Two boys had come to stand on either side of the girl. One had dark hair and glasses, while the other had hair red enough to put even Mr. Crepsley's to shame. Another red haired girl hovered nearby, accompanied by a slightly chubby boy and a fair haired girl. Evra noted uncomfortably that the blonde was staring at him and he had the feeling that those blue eyes could see right through him. He shifted awkwardly, apologized again, and then left as quickly as he could. **_

_** The snake boy could practically feel the others' eyes on him, even after the wooden door had swung shut. **_

Darren Shan Point of View

Present Time

I could hear the cheers from the Gryffindor house, even though my cage was so far away from the castle. Lupin had been by earlier to inform me that they were going up against the…Ravenclaw…Ravencrew?...team in some sort of sport. Quidditch…maybe…. (Stupid wizards and their confusing words!) It was easy enough to guess who had won the match.

The commotion carried on well into the night. Although it was, in many ways, annoying, the constant, cheery sounds were a nice change from the usual night time noises. Around two in the morning, things finally became completely quiet.

With a sigh, I flopped onto my back to wait out yet _another _painfully boring night.

I could feel the night coming close to an end- there was probably only two or three hours until the dawn- when there was a disturbance from the castle. I sat up, stiffening as I heard a long, fear filled cry. I was up on my feet and at the bars in a matter of seconds, straining my ears to catch what exactly was going on. The scream had sounded a lot like Ron's….

There wasn't too much I could catch, except the few scattered words like "Black", "nightmare", and "knife". I bit down on my lower lip thoughtfully. Scanning over the grounds curiously, my eyes were drawn to something large moving quickly over the grounds, and coming straight towards me.

I watched as it came closer, and was able to make it out as an enormous black dog. I scowled at the creature. Running near it was a large, ugly orange cat. The two passed by me, so close that if I had reached through the bars I might've been able to touch them, and into the dark trees beyond. The cat froze for a brief second as it passed me, yellow eyes narrowing to slits as it hissed, then it followed the dog. I watched the area they had disappeared for a moment, wondering why it was that I felt something about the dog was strange.

Suddenly, an overpowering odor assaulted my senses. I gagged a little bit at the scent of unwashed human. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, and when I opened them again I was greeted by the sight of the same skinny man I had encountered before. He was, admittedly, looking a little bit better-not _quite_ as emaciated, and that strange glint was gone from his dark eyes. Now, however, he had a harried and worried look about him. He kept glancing towards the castle, eyes wide and worried, and would flinch at every snap of a branch that came from the trees behind him.

"What do you want?" I snapped at him. "Gonna let me out this time?"

The man jumped again, and his eyes focused entirely on me. A tired smile slipped across his face. "I'm sorry, but I can't. Something tells me that you already know that, though."

I scowled, but slowly nodded. The strange man was, admittedly, interesting. He was a mystery, and it peaked my curiosity. Plus…there was something weird about his scent. Underneath all of the dirt and grime and stink, he smelled almost…animalistic. I sniffed again, wrinkling my nose at the sharp, malodorous scent.

He smelled like….

Finally, the pieces clicked together in my mind. "_You're _the dog!" I exclaimed, eyes growing wide at the realization. His eyes widened, and then narrowed, before he grinned crookedly at me, revealing his yellow teeth. The dog man didn't speak, though, and other than the grin he gave me no indication of whether or not I was wrong.

"If you don't mention me to the others, Darren, I have some news that I think will interest you." He croaked to me. I stared at him for a long while, noting the way his eyes darted wildly around. I realized that he wasn't going to stick around for much longer, so I slowly nodded my head, my mind racing with guesses and hopes. His smile grew wider.

"Someone is looking for you, Darren."

I felt my heart leap to my throat and my eyes widen.

"They are very close." He told me quietly. He was obviously happy with my reaction, his own smile softening to something more kind and friendly. "I've talked with them, told them what I know."

"Thanks." I breathed, not even sure if he could hear or understand the word around the lump in my throat. Something told me that he could, though.

There was a moment of silence between us. I blinked, and the man was gone. In his place was the large black dog.

I grinned at him, and he gave me an odd kind of doggy smile, tongue lolling out and dark eyes shining. Then, he turned tail (quite literally) and retreated into the forest, making barely a sound.

Once I was sure he was gone, I let the first joy filled tear fall.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey people! I'm back from the dead! Well…New Orleans, but whatever. : ) I would've been updating while there (there were SO MANY wonderful, inspiring sights and experiences!) but since my siblings and I were staying with my grandparents out on the Irish Bayou, no technology what-so-ever. I didn't even have my cell phone. -_- But anyways! Thanks for all your amazing comments! I did my best to answer the ones I could, but I'm sorry if I missed you. I'll do better this chapter! Oh, and to Queen NekoChan, my 200****th**** reviewer…a virtual salamander-shaped ice cream cake and a request. **

**I hope you love it! :D **

**Warning- I had a lot of difficulty with the flashback bit of this, so don't expect it to be fantastic. I also took some liberties with the timing and the place. Tell me if it's OOC, so I can go back and revise. Thanks!**

"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

"**Sounds"**

"_**Flashbacks"**_

Sirius Black

Flashback Three

_** It was cold. Sirius closed his eyes, glad for the fur that covered his large form. Even in the shelter of the shrieking shack, the cold seeped through the cracked walls, rattling the windows and making his own paranoid self twitch uncomfortably. His stomach made a loud growling noise, and he ignored it. It was easy- after all, he'd been living with it for twelve years. **_

_** Sirius shifted his position on the worn old bed, making the broken frame groan in protest. He had been there, had seen **_**them. **_**Oh, God, Harry was beautiful. He looked exactly like James had at that age. All except for the eyes. Even in the dimly lit places he'd seen him, he could tell that the boy had Lily's eyes. A proud, parental smile lifted the corners of his mouth into a doggy-grin. He knew now what all those proud parents he had met over the years felt when they cooed and smiled at their children. Harry should have been his, when the Potters had…. **_

_** His shaggy black head shook quickly, and he whimpered quietly at the terrible thoughts of what had happened to James and Lily. His best friend. **_

_** It was all that traitor's, Pettigrew's, fault. He had betrayed them. He had-**_

__**"CRASH!"**

_** Sirius bolted to his four feet, eyes trained in the direction of the door. Quiet, angry mutterings came from the other side. The voice was that of someone young, and with a slight accent that he couldn't quite place. Sirius's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape of some sort. Two windows, but they were covered by boards and probably magically sealed, and the secret passage was on the floor below him. Sirius panted quietly, mind racing and heart accelerating as he realized that there was no way out of the room except through the doors and past the stranger just beyond it. Sirius stood stiff and still, trying to be quiet and praying that the stranger would just leave already. It was quiet for a long moment, and he held his breath. **_

_** Sirius allowed himself to hope….**_

_** The door swung open, the rusty hinges protesting loudly, to reveal a hooded figure. The figure took a step into the room, not seeming to really notice Sirius at first. With a quiet sigh, he allowed his hood to fall away from his face. Sirius knew that, if he was human, his eyebrows would've been somewhere in his hairline at the scale covered face that was revealed. **_

_** Taking a cautious, quiet step backwards, Sirius hoped he could disappear into the shadows of the dimly lit room. As he did so, his back paw knocked against a stray piece of debris, creating a quiet scuffling noise as the trash skittered across the floor. The younger occupant of the room gasped and turned, simultaneously yanking his hood back up and over his face. As the boy's eyes finally settled on Sirius, he could see the other visibly relax. A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he muttered "Thank goodness. Just a dog." **_

_** Kneeling down, the strange scale covered boy extended a gloved hand towards the large black dog who was watching warily from his corner. "C' mere boy." He cooed quietly, reaching into his back pocket with the other hand. Sirius tensed, ready to dash if the boy pulled a wand. Instead, a small roundish package was taken from the pocket. "You look so skinny, I don't think even the Little People would want you." He chuckled quietly as he slowly removed the wrappings to reveal scraps of meat. "This was meant for someone else, but I think that you could use it more." He continued talking; using a slow and soothing voice as he slowly moved forward, the food extended towards Sirius. **_

_** Sirius stayed still, eyeing the snake boy uncertainly. His human instincts were warning him to stay away, but his animal instincts were telling him that the strange boy could be trusted. Cautiously, Sirius moved forward to accept the food. He was starving, and his animal instincts were usually more accurate than his human ones. **_

_** The snake boy stayed in the room with him long after Sirius was finished with the food. It was strange for the escaped convict to be in such close quarters with another human(?), and for said human not to be completely insane or homicidal. Not that there was much of a difference in Sirius's opinion. Evra, as Sirius soon learned, was searching for his missing friend. When Evra mentioned the friend's name-Darren- Sirius felt an odd sense of familiarity, although he wasn't sure why. He brushed it off. **_

_** "I'm usually with the Cirque, but when I heard that Mr. Crepsley was going to go and find Darren I had to go. He's my friend after all. Actually, it kind of makes me nervous to be out here with all the normal people." Evra admitted with a nervous kind of laugh. He seemed to be talking nonsense, but Sirius didn't mind. Although he wouldn't let the snake boy touch him, he did enjoy the company. **_

_** "I guess I'm talking your ear off." Evra sighed, reaching slowly in an attempt to rub the dog's enormous head. He wasn't surprised when it skittered out of his reach, hackles raised very slightly. He smiled and withdrew his hand. "I guess it's just because I haven't really had much of a chance to vent lately. Crepsley is always either out looking for Darren, and that's usually at night while I'm asleep, or he's asleep himself, and that is usually during the day when the roles are somewhat reversed." Another sad sigh. "I really hope that he's having more luck than I am."**_

_** "That I am." Came a quiet voice.**_

_** Evra jumped to his feet and whirled around, his hood falling to reveal the nervous face of a teenager who knows they've done something wrong. **_

_** Sirius felt his hackles rise slightly at the sight of a tall man with bright orange hair and a large scar marring the side of his face. The man smelled strange…different and threatening, and yet somehow…familiar…. **_

___"He smells kind of like that boy!" __**Sirius realized as the memory of the strange caged boy came back to him. He rose from his comfortable position on the ground, resisting the urge to growl at the other man. **_

_** "Evra, come here." He commanded, and Evra complied, sulking slightly at being ordered around. **_

_** "Why?" the young snake boy questioned, glancing back towards Sirius. **_

_** "Because that is not a mere dog." Crepsley answered simply, a humorless smirk on his features. **_

Harry Potter POV

"Have you noticed anything…different…about Darren lately?" came a quiet, airy voice.

It was lunch, and Harry, Ginny, Neville, Hermione, and Ron were seated together at their house table. Harry turned away from his frantic studying of an upcoming potions test to face Luna, who was standing directly behind him.

"Wha' d'ya mean?" Ron grunted while he simultaneously shoveled food into the gaping hole most humans call a mouth. Hermione and Neville exchanged a shocked look at the amount that their friend was capable of consuming before turning their gazes to the blond. Ginny ignored her elder brother entirely, and instead focused entirely on Luna.

"I think that perhaps that Nargals have ahold of him." She said gravely as she settled down beside Ginny. She was met with a thundering silence as the group waited patiently for her to continue explaining. "I was down at Professor Hagrid's, and I decided that it might be best if I went to pay our dear vampire friend a visit. When I went near him though, he seemed unusually cheerful and excitable, although at the same time rather nervous."

Hermione looked at the younger girl uncertainly. "That really doesn't mean much of anything…." She began, but trailed off as the headmaster rose slowly from his position. The entire hall fell slowly silent as they waited for the man to speak.

"I have an announcement." The headmaster stated. His soft voice was magically amplified so that the entire student body could hear. Harry noted with surprise how tired Dumbledore looked, and how old he sounded. It was certainly a strange thing. "This week, Ministry representatives will be coming to the school to retrieve the vampire from our grounds."

A choking sound was heard through the silence of the hall, and Harry quickly slapped Ron on the back to help him to breathe again, eyes never leaving Dumbledore's worn features.

The still of the hall was shattered when Hermione stood up, a quiet and angry cry coming from her mouth, and a distraught looking Professor McGonagall rose from her own seat and stormed out.

The five Gryffindors and the single Ravenclaw soon followed, accompanied by Hagrid, Lupin, and Snape. For once, none of the professors even acknowledged the students' presence and allowed them to follow. They found themselves in the headmaster's office, each one too lost within their own thoughts to really notice the quiet conversations and questions of the others and of the many portraits lining the walls. When Dumbledore strode through the large ornate door, he was attacked by loud, questioning voices. The old wizard held up one hand, silently asking for quiet. For a second, it was so. Then, in a quiet, horrified voice, Professor McGonagall asked "Why, Albus?" and the room was filled with noise again.

Dumbledore wisely waited for the other occupants to settle themselves down before he took his seat behind the enormous desk. He conjured up several more chairs, each of its' own varying style and color, and gestured for the other occupants to sit themselves down. Each did so, eyeing one another and the headmaster with emotion filled eyes. Dumbledore met each pair of eyes, never flinching away whether he was met with anger, sadness, or just simple confusion.

Finally he spoke, words aimed towards his staff. "I am sure that you are all curious as to why it is that you were not informed of this earlier." At the quiet noises of confirmation, he continued warily onwards. "It is because the simple fact of the matter is; no one can do anything about it, and I know a few people who might have hurt themselves trying."

Sparkling blue eyes locked momentarily with eight other pairs. Snape scoffed, and then spoke. "Are you quite certain that there is _nothing _that could be done? No way that a vampire could…_escape_…from such a thing?"

Everyone but Dumbledore turned wide, shocked eyes upon the hook nosed potions master. The man pretended like he didn't notice, focusing only on the headmaster. A small, sad smile pulled at the corners of the old man's mouth. He shook his head, white beard swaying gently with the motion. "I have considered many possibilities, Severus, but so far I have nothing." As he spoke, his eyes turned fierce, flashing around the room. Harry couldn't help but hope that the sudden change meant that an idea was forming in the headmaster's brilliant mind.

"I think that, whether Darren realizes it or not, he needs his friends to be with him at this point in time." Professor Lupin said softly, turning to gaze pointedly at the six youngest occupants of the large circular room. The students shifted uncomfortably at the sudden shift of attention.

"But Professor-" Neville began, but was cut off when Dumbledore rose from his seat.

"I agree with Professor Lupin. Go and visit him. The Ministry will be here the day after tomorrow."

A quiet sob escaped Ginny's throat as the group turned to go. Hermione was the last one to leave. She paused, one foot out the threshold and turned back toward the professors. "Sir…" she began timidly, one hand fumbling with something under her shirt. "what about-"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Let's not discuss that yet Ms. Granger. Go and visit your friend."

The young witch nodded, her lower lip trembling dangerously. "Yes sir."

As the door closed behind her, Dumbledore let a heavy sigh escape from between his lips. Snape glanced at the headmaster, a single flash of concern hidden in the inky black of his dark eyes. Lupin allowed himself to sink down into his chair, covering his face with one large hand.

"Albus, you aren't actually going to let them just take the boy, are you?" McGonagall whispered, sounding horrified.

"I'm afraid I have no choice, Minerva." He replied, eyes averted to stare out the window and across the grounds towards the hidden cage. "Perhaps, with a bit of luck, something can be worked out."

"Albus..." Lupin began quietly, wide eyes staring hopefully at the powerful wizard.

"I think that that is enough discussion for now." The headmaster said, turning back towards his friends. "Right now, don't you all have classes that need attending?"

The three professors didn't reply, only stood and headed for the door. Each one paused for a brief second before leaving, casting glances over their shoulder at the headmaster. He nodded to each in turn, and then they were gone.

"What a day." Dumbledore murmured, removing his half-moon spectacles and laying them gently on his desk. Popping a few lemon drops into his mouth, the great wizard steepled his hands and began to formulate an idea.


	22. Chapter 22

**Yes! Chapter 22 is done! And by the weekend, too. I'm so glad not to have disappointed…. I hope…*cough, cough. Awkward shuffle* Um, anyways. This is a birthday present for Canada and America! (am I a Hetalia fan? You bet'cha!) So to all/and Canadian or Americans who read this story…um…yeah. Happy birthday to your countries. :D Please make sure to review and tell me what you think! Love it, hate it, want to lodge large speckled turtle as me for taking so long to update…. .**

**Anyways! I hope you all enjoy! ^_^**

"Speaking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Sounds"**

"_**Flashbacks"**_

Flashback Four

Andy

_**They had been flitting along the borders of the school, testing the magical barriers that prevented them from entering. They searched for any sign of weakness. So far, though, they had had no luck, and Andy could tell that they were growing frustrated. The young Centaur had been watching them curiously for a while, secretly glad that the very barriers the strange pair were trying to break also kept him cloaked from their eyes. Although his instincts were demanding he tell the Elders about these strange intruders, something was keeping him from doing so. **_

_**They had mentioned Darren.**_

_**It had only been once, but for Andiamus, it was enough. Ever since then he had followed them whenever he saw them. **_

_**It was nearing the twilight, and he had spotted the strange, green skinned boy just an hour before. The centaur had been watching the two long enough to know the basics of their schedule. Soon enough, the other man arrived. He was silent in his approach, making the scaled boy jump nervously when a large hand was laid on his shoulder. He spun around, looking relieved when it was his older companion. The man began to speak, but it was too quiet for Andiamus to hear. He guessed it was a scolding, from the way the boy's head drooped and the ashamed look on his face. Andiamus took a few more cautious steps towards the strangers, near enough to the barriers that he could hear their muffled voices.**_

_** "-eight hours? You need to rest." The red haired one murmured, not looking at the younger. The scaled boy shook his head, not saying a word in response. Andiamus watched them for over an hour, tracking them as they walked along the edges of the invisible barriers. He had a hand on his bow at all times, prepared to defend if it was needed. Never once did they show any sign of detecting his presence. **_

_** The scaled child was stumbling, yawning every few minutes. The almost full moon was high above them, sending blue tinged light down upon everything, and casting long shadows. **_

_** "Mr. Crepsley, why don't you just ask him?" the boy asked as he stumbled over a root. "It's obvious he knows how to get into the grounds, so…." He trailed off as Crepsley stopped, turning to face his young companion.**_

_** "We have only recently met him, and he does not yet trust us, Evra. We won't be able to get reliable information from him." Crepsley answered quietly, eyes staring over Evra's head and towards the darkness of the forest. Andiamus felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle uncomfortably and he scuffed at the ground, his back hoof breaking twigs. The noise echoed through the night, and Crepsley stiffened. **_

_** Evra looked nervous when he noticed the glare that the vampire was casting at the darkened woods. He couldn't see anything, thanks to the wards. Andiamus took a step back, his grip tightening on his bow. Crepsley looked uncomfortable and nervous, but Evra's reaction was completely opposite. The snake boy took a few steps forward, eyes wide. He looked hopeful. **_

_** "Darren? Darren, are you out there?" he called quietly, eyes scanning blindly across the trees and right over where the centaur was. Crepsley lay a hand on the boy's shoulder, fingers tightening slightly as an urge for silence. Evra glanced up at him, looking uncertain at the touch. The scale covered boy visibly deflated as he received no answer. **_

_** Andiamus closed his eyes for a second, his mind filling with questions as he pondered all that he had seen and heard of the two. They were connected to him. He had heard their hoarse, desperate whispers as they discussed Darren, and the faint scent that lingered on their clothes confirmed that the two had spent quite some time with the young vampire. **__**Andiamus pawed at the ground with his front hoof, letting a heavy huff of air out through his nostrils. It clouded the air, and the fog hung like crystals in the cold night until it spun lazily up and above his head, and above the wards, and finally disappeared somewhere into the star spotted sky. **_

_**The scaled boy was shivering when he directed his attention back towards the strangers. Without looking at the smaller one, the red haired man removed his cloak and placed it over the boy's thin shoulders, scolding him quietly as he turned to take a few long strides in the opposite direction, still pushing at the magical barriers. Andiamus hummed thoughtfully at the unintentional display of thinly veiled affection. These two cared for one another, in a tense and wary sort of way. They most certainly cared for his young friend, as well. **_

_** Taking a deep breath, the centaur made his decision. Gripping his bow tightly, and adjusting his quiver so that it was easier to reach, he closed his eyes. He was a centaur; he had been born in the forest, on the grounds. He had lived here for the entirety of his life. He knew how to manipulate the barriers, even if it was only for a moment. He pushed through, the magic clinging to his form like spider webs. **_

_** Before he was completely free of the magic, and was still cloaked, he spoke. **_

_** "I believe I can help you."**_

Harry Potter P.O.V.

Harry had been having a hard time sleeping. It wasn't just the nightmares, or the prickle of fear about Sirius Black, or the many eyes he knew were watching him carefully. It was also the iron clamp that latched itself onto his heart whenever the thought of the Ministry coming so soon for Darren. He knew the others felt the same way, too.

He had seen the pale, sick complexion that his friends-and even some of the teachers-sported. He had tried to think of a way to help. He had sat with his friends and brainstormed for hours at a time. He had even made discreet, passing mentions and questions at the teachers he knew were on the same mind set as himself.

No one knew what to do. There were no spells, no tools, and no potions that could get Darren out of his metal prison.

There was no hope.

That seemed to be the conclusion they reached. There was no time. The Ministry would be coming in just over 24 hours, and there was no way to help Darren.

After a few sleepless hours of lying in the darkened room and staring up at the ceiling from his bed, Harry got up. He stepped quietly and carefully from the room, his bare feet barely making a noise as he padded across the carpeted floor and down the stairs. Stepping down the stairs and heading straight for the comfortable chairs by the fire, Harry paused when he saw the dark shape of someone sitting in one of the chairs, and a flash of bright red hair.

"Ginny?" he whispered, stepping closer. "What are you doing still up?"

The second year glanced up at him, her eyes tired and rimmed slightly in red. "What are _you_ doing?" she returned, giving him a weak smile. Then she sighed and hunched a bit in her seat. "Just can't seem to get to sleep."

Harry nodded in understanding and sunk into the chair beside her.

"I…I'm scared, Harry." She whispered, pulling up her legs and folding them under her. "What if we can't help him? What if the ministry takes him away?"

Harry shook his head silently. He didn't have an answer to that question. He had been asking it himself, and he still had no answers. "I don't know. I can't think of anything we _could _do. There's no way to open the cage, unless we have the correct spell."

"Do you think that Dumbledore might have it?" the red head asked, suddenly straightening. Her eyes bore into Harry's, and a grin spread across his features. Just as quickly, though, it was gone. Hermione had told him earlier….

"Even if he did have it, he couldn't use it. They would know it was him, and he'd be in a lot of trouble." Harry said quietly, quoting his friend almost word for word. Ginny sighed and put her head on the arm of the chair, eyes closing.

"What're we going to do?" she asked, lips barely moving enough to form coherent words. She was met with silence. After a moment, she sighed and whispered "Maybe I should just go to bed."

"Yeah. I suppose I should, too." Harry replied standing and stretching. Ginny followed his lead, and they bid each other a good night.

However, when the dawn broke the next morning, casting rays of warm light into the common room, Harry was still fast asleep in one of the overstuffed armchairs.

Later that morning, directly after breakfast and as the students were shuffling slowly towards their various classes, Harry and Ron both received bruised ribs as Hermione slammed her elbow into each of their sides.

"Ow! Bloody hell! What was that for, 'Mione?" Ron demanded, too astonished to be immediately angrily. She gestured towards the staff table, where Dumbledore was leaning over to whisper something in McGonagall's ear. The woman was looking rather pale, and on Dumbledore's other side, Lupin looked like he might be sick. Hagrid was standing nearby, dabbing at his running eyes and sniffling.

"Something is wrong." The bushy haired witch hissed, hazel eyes wide and worried.

"Let's go." Harry murmured, his hand catching Neville as the other boy passed by. Hermione grabbed Ginny and Luna, who were walking together.

The group made their way towards the headmaster's office, waiting for the halls to clear a bit. They reached the large door and stopped, each one leaning forward and resting an ear against the polished wood in an attempt to hear what was being discussed inside.

"You can't allow them to do this, Albus." Came the quiet, but desperate and firm, voice of Remus Lupin.

"I have no control over it. This is what the Ministry has decided, and I can do nothing to change their minds." The Headmaster sounded tired and defeated, and Harry felt a slight chill go down his spine.

"But to do such a thing, and to a child no less; it is unacceptable!" McGonagall's voice was shaking with outrage, and something else.

"Minerva, please calm yourself. Perhaps if we can think rationally, we will be able to-"

"No, Albus! If the Ministry isn't interested in a 'live specimen'-" she spat the words like acid, and Harry could almost see the fire that sprang into her eyes that promised pain to any student or adult that dared to cross her. "-then they have no right to come here at all. But instead of being reasonable, and leaving the boy alone, they're going to come here and dispose of him themselves? That is unacceptable!"

Harry felt his heart stop.

Ginny jerked away from the door, her eyes enormous and mouth hanging slightly open. Luna stepped back and lay a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, but her own eyes were unusually sharp and clear. A tiny frown was on her face.

Neville had his mouth hanging slightly open, a shocked and angry expression on his usually altruistic face. At his side, his hands were fisted tightly, the knuckles going white and fingernails biting into the flesh of his palms. Ron looked like he might be sick; his face going a bit green around the edges, and freckles standing out against the discoloration.

Hermione was still for a second, and all was silent. Then, the witch let out a shriek and slammed her fist against the door. Everyone jumped, shocked at the sudden violent action. Her eyes were alight with fury, and her cheeks were flaming red. A scowl was etched into her features. No one spoke from the other side of the door, but it swung open only seconds after Hermione had hit it. Dumbledore stood there, flanked by Lupin and McGonagall on either side. Somewhere in the room and over the headmaster's shoulder, Harry could barely make out the shadowed form of Snape. Dumbledore didn't seem very surprised to see the six students huddled outside his door.

"What do you mean?" Hermione hissed, glaring up into the faces of the Professors. "What do you mean, 'dispose of him'?"

The adults seemed too surprised to move at first, shocked at the unexpected change in the usually docile and understanding young witch. Ron and Harry both moved forward, laying comforting and restraining hands on her shoulders, while at the same time glancing behind to check up on the other girls. Neville was with them. Professor McGonagall took a shaky step forward, trying to even out her own breathing before she spoke. "Ms. Granger, you have no-"

"Don't you dare say that we don't understand the situation." The bushy haired witch almost yelled, never backing down.

"There is nothing we can do." Dumbledore whispered, blue eyes closing.

Hermione stared up at him, eyes filling with tears and lower lip trembling. Then, she whirled around and stormed away, dragging Harry and Ron with her. Neville gave the Headmaster a long look, and then followed his friends. Ginny went after him, refusing to meet the professors' eyes as she stomped away.

Luna was the last to leave. She stared at her elders for a long moment, a small understanding smile stretched across her features. Then she walked up to the white bearded man, took his hand in hers, and patted it gently. "It's alright, sir. We don't blame you." Then she, too, turned on her heel and padded lightly away.

The adults silently watched them go.

"Perhaps it is time for you all to make your way back to your classes." Dumbledore finally said, smiling at his staff. He was met with silent nods.

As they gathered their things and began the descent to their classrooms, Dumbledore suddenly cried out "Ah, but before you go-" Lupin, McGonagall, and Snape paused and turned back, each with varied levels of curiosity scrawled across their features. "-have a lemon drop!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello everyone….I know. I SUCK. But you've all been so wonderful! Thank you so much for your support!**

**THIS FIC WILL BE CONTINUED.**

**Um…one problem, though. I have a serious and potentially deadly disease. WRITERS BLOCK. I know exactly where I want to go with 'No Escape' (heck, I even have the ending all planned out!) but I have **_**no idea**_** what to do with this next chapter. It's simply not coming to me. So I have a request to make you all, my beloved readers. Give me ideas!**

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**I LOVE YOU ALL SO DARNED MUCH, AND THANK YOU. **


	24. Chapter 24

**Yes. I suck. I'm sorry. I don't deserve such faithful and wonderful reviewers! This is just a short chapter to let you know that I'm not giving up on this fanfic! I think that the real action will probably be where the action begins. No matter how long it takes me…I **_**will **_**finish it. I promise.**

**Thank you to everyone who sent me their messages, reviews, and ideas. It means more to me than I could ever express.**

**Thank you.**

"Speaking"

"**Sounds"**

"_Thinking"_

Darren Shan POV

It was easy to tell that something was wrong. My friends were visiting me more often, but their eyes were red and puffy, or else bloodshot and tired with heavy bags under them. When Ginny stayed after one of Hagrid's classes one day to speak with me, I asked her about the change. Her eyes had widened as she covered her mouth with one hand. I noticed tears collecting at the corners of her big eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Darren!" she sobbed, voice muffled by her hand. She moved forward, her free hand wrapping around the bar of my cage. She didn't seem to notice the smell of burning flesh or the smoke that rose from her fingers. "I can't…."

"Ginny! Let go!" I had cried, panicking slightly. "Ginny, stop! HAGRID!"

The giant of a man had run from his hut, eyes wide and worried. When he saw what the problem was, he had let out a quiet cry and ran to grab hold of the small redhead, pulling her away and up into his arms. She was crying, wails escaping from her mouth as she thrashed against him. "We can't let them! Hagrid, we have to-" but Hagrid was already racing towards the castle and away from me.

I couldn't hear Ginny's cries anymore, but I knew. There was a sinking in my stomach. It made sense now. The fake, shaky laughter and falsely cheerful voices. The side glances and pitying stares. The eyes and mouths and tears and shaking hands. It all finally made sense to me. I was going to die.

It wasn't going to be that simple, though. I wasn't just going to die; someone was going to kill me.

My legs suddenly felt very weak and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground. My head was spinning with the sudden realization and my stomach hurt. I clutched at my middle, afraid I was going to be sick. It was strange. I had "died" before. I knew that I was going to die sooner or later. Mr. Crepsley had threatened it himself every now and then, but this was entirely different. Nobody had told me out right; it hadn't been threatened or even implied. I simply _knew, _and somehow that just made it worse.

Time crawled by, and the sun passed slowly overhead. I began to feel numb, and a part of me knew that I was going into shock. The rest of me just didn't care.

By the time the sun had disappeared and the moon began to make itself known, I had calmed down completely. I knew what was coming, even if I didn't know exactly how or when it would happen, and I would be ready to face it. A small part of me still held onto the slim hope that Mr. Crepsley would find me in time, but with a vampire like him…. Well, you can never really tell, can you?

When Hagrid came by later that night with a freshly dead rabbit, I asked him "Do you know when it will be?" He gave me a confused look, and I continued before he could open his mouth to ask. "When I'm going to die."

Immediately, his eyes widened and a tear trickled down his face, disappearing into his overgrown beard. Slowly…terribly slowly, he nodded. The giant man opened his mouth as though to answer, but his chin was quivering so badly that he seemed unable to form a coherent word. I waited, feeling impatient and a little annoyed. I wanted to yell at him but he looked so miserable that I couldn't bring myself to do so. Finally, he managed to choke out a reply that made my blood run cold once again. "T-t-tomorrow. The Ministry is comin' tomorrow."

Harry Potter POV

The morning dawned, sunny and beautiful despite the slight chill. All around the castle, young witches and wizards were opening their eyes after a night of dreaming. Happy for the weekend, they headed for the Great Hall, eager for a hearty and delicious breakfast. Smiles were everywhere.

Well, almost everywhere. The faces of the staff were tired and pulled into various expressions of grief. The students noticed. Despite the previously happy atmosphere, the mood soon began to become somber and worrisome. The loud voices quieted and conversations became shorter and shorter until they faded into nothing more than one word replies. When Dumbledore stood from his spot, golden platter untouched, he didn't bother calling for silence.

"Today, I must ask for the students not to leave the castle after noon." He announced. His voice was scratchy, and he looked as though he hadn't slept at all. "The Ministry of Magic will be on the grounds today. They have come to collect Mr. Darren from his cage, and to dispose of him quickly and efficiently. They do not want any student involvement or interruptions."

There was a moment of silence before a quiet voice spoke up. "What does that mean, Professor Dumbledore?"

Every head swiveled in unison to find the person who had talked. In the midst of many sitting children, one girl in a silver and green scarf stood. She was staring up towards the headmaster, eyes wide as she swatted at the hands that tried to pull her back down. Dumbledore gave her a sad smile.

"It is exactly what it sounds like, Ms. Reinbeck." The headmaster answered quietly.

"You mean they…they're going to…." The young Slytherin trailed off, a shocked gasp making its way from her throat. "But, they can't!"

"I'm afraid they can." Dumbledore said, holding up a hand for silence as chatter began to break across the great hall. "Now, if anyone wishes to say their final goodbyes to our resident vampire, you may."

Five Gryffindors and one Ravenclaw were out the door and running towards the grounds before the sentence was out of his mouth. He paused to let the whispers die down again before continuing.

"Please be back inside the castle before 10 o'clock, and make sure to travel with friends." And with that, the students were dismissed.

There was a moment of shocked silence before the first year from Slytherin rose and strode from the Great Hall. She was followed by two young men from Hufflepuff and then a few from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Students from each house trickled from the room and onto the grounds. In that day of grief, Albus Dumbledore couldn't have been more proud.


	25. Chapter 25

**I'm back! Two chapters in one month! Hopefully, this means I'm somewhat out of my slump. I hope this chapter pleases you, my wonderful and dearest readers.**

**A special shout-out to Pichicha123, who sent me a message specifically to request this be done before a very special day… it's a day early, but happy birthday all the same! I hope you enjoy this present. Treat it gently~ ;)**

**My own birthday is the 27****th****. I will officially be 17! Reviews would be a nice present, hint hint, nudge nudge. Haha! **

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**Long authors note is long, and now over. Please, enjoy this chapter. (and don't hate me too much)**

"Talking"

"_Thinking"_

"**Noises"**

Darren Shan POV

I had been expecting a quiet morning. A lonely last day and, if I was lucky, a few people coming to say their final goodbyes.

The first people were expected. Neville was the first to reach me. His knees were covered in grass stains and his face was red, sweat glistening on his forehead. He was trying to speak, but couldn't get his words out between each heavy breath. I waited in silence. Soon enough, the others arrived.

Ron wrapped an arm around Hermione and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder as silent tears streamed down her face. Ginny stayed close to Harry's side, her eyes red and swollen but her chin set in a valiant façade of bravery. Neville and Luna had made a spot on the grass together, almost touching but not quite. I watched them with something like a smirk and allowed myself an eye-roll. "At least they won't be lonely when I'm gone." I muttered dryly. No one really knew what to say, so we opted for silence, broken only by the occasional sniffle.

Minutes passed, and then a flash of silver and green caught my eye. I recognized the girl striding purposefully toward us from a while back, but couldn't remember her name (not that is would matter much at this point). As she drew closer, Ron and Harry were immediately defensive. They faced the girl, and I grinned when she stood her ground. There was no chance for a silly confrontation, though, because at that point two more students arrived. Then three more, and then another one. _And they kept coming! _

Soon, there were students milling about, standing both alone and in groups. Everything was quiet besides a slight buzzing that signified the whispered conversations taking place amongst the gathered students and staff members.

Few actually approached me. The ones who did almost always had the same routine. They would pause, mouths moving slowly and soundlessly as they searched for whatever words had been on their minds mere seconds prior. Then, they would stutter out a rushed apology, or some silly story about a dead relative or sometimes a pet. There were a few who assured me I'd go to a better place, and then gave false, hollow laughs at my lame and half-assed attempt at a joke ("Yeah, no kidding. I'd bet that most places are better than a cage! Ha. Ha.") before they retreated back to their friends. Some promised they'd get me out before the "Ministry" arrived. I noted that this group seemed to have an affinity for red-and-gold scarves.

All this while, Lupin and Hagrid stood by my cage like sentries. One wore a bone-tired expression, his shoulder hunched but head held high. The other seemed content to simply cry into an enormous spotted handkerchief.

I felt oddly numb to it all, like I was offering my condolences to someone after the loss of some distant family member that I had never known. Perhaps it was the familiarity of it all; this _was _my second funeral, after all. How backwards it all seemed.

I sat in the shadow cast by the top of my cage as the sun rose higher into the blue sky. It was ironic that the day of my true death would be marked by lovely weather and singing birds.

And then the Ministry arrived.

Everything was thrown into chaos. Students were yelling, refusing to leave. The Professors were half-heartedly commanding their students to vacate the immediate area. In the midst of all the confusion, I saw an enormous snake making its ways along the edges of the forest. A snake that I recognized.

"Evra!" I cried out, desperate, suddenly scared.

As a flash of light blinded me and simultaneously opened the door of my enchanted metal deathtrap, and as too rough binds tore me from within, I realized that I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready to die; I didn't want to lose the existence, the _life, _I had at the Cirque.

"Evra!" I screamed again."Mr. Crepsley!"

But the strange, magic binds covered my mouth, cutting off my screams. I saw the men who held me captive, their wands turned grandly towards me. I snarled into the stupid gag, struggling and thrashing and hissing. No one was coming to save me. If I had to die, I would do so proudly.

I would do so like a vampire.

Harry Potter P.O.V.

They were using a shield charm to keep the raging, swelling mass of bodies back. It was chaos, with children and adults screaming and crying and talking all at once. The officials from the Ministry were yelling right back. Half of them were focused on keeping the shield up and the occupants of Hogwarts at bay while the others….

Harry watched in silent horror as Darren was pulled from the cage. The binds that the Ministry had summoned were obviously tight. So tight…. The boy's hands were turning blue. His mouth was open, screaming something that couldn't be made out amongst the tirade of other noises.

"Stop it! Please, _**STOP!**_" Hermione screamed as she beat her fists against the invisible barrier.

Darren's eyes were wide with terror and he choked and writhed as the binds snaked their way around his throat and across his mouth.

"You can't do this." Ginny sobbed, hands tearing at her red hair in anguish and frustration. "You can't…."

And now the vampire was fighting his captors, eyes darker and fiercer than anyone had ever seen. It was a wonderful, terrible, valiant battle. One that Darren had no hope of winning.

Neville was watching, his eyes wide. His fists clenched at his side, and his teeth gnawing at his bottom lip until he tasted blood. He shuddered and spat, trying to rid himself of the taste. It stayed, and with each passing second he was realizing just how hopeless a person could feel. Funny; he has thought he'd already known.

Darren was pale. So dreadfully pale against the dark hair and eyes. He was small, too, seeming ever smaller against the Ministry officials, with their angry expressions and raised wands. One man stood to the side. He wore a dark hood and nondescript black robes. The taste of blood filled Neville's mouth as the executioner raised his pale wand.

It was then that Darren managed to hit the ground and roll, ramming into one of the officials. The shield began to crumble. The raging mass surged forward, fueled by shock and anger and adrenaline.

Too slow, though. Not enough. Far too late.

The spell was cast in confusion, as the students fell upon them.

Curses flew, lighting up the air with sparks. One of the Weasley twins set something off, and they were all engulfed in sudden impenetrable darkness. Spells lit up the cloud like lightning as it raged through the darkened and dangerous sky.

"IT'S OVER." A voice thundered above it all, amplified by magic. "The vampire is dead! STOP THIS."

And stop it did. Silence fell.

From the Forbidden Forest, an anguished wail was heard.


	26. Chapter 26

A fire flickered merrily in the fireplace, casting dancing shadows across the faces of the cabin's occupants. They sat around the scarred table, cooling mugs of undrinkable tea placed in front of them. No one spoke, and the cabin was engulfed in silence, save for the occasional sniffles that resulted from sobbing. Each person replayed the events of the day in their heads, remembering limp hands and dead eyes and anguished wails. Hermione let out a choked sob, burying her face in Ron's shoulder. Harry wrapped an arm around her, and Ginny in turn lay her head on his shoulder. Across the table, Remus watched them, hair mussed and the bags under his eyes seeming much darker than before. From her position between them, Luna lay a comforting hand over Neville and Remus's hands. The ministry workers had disappeared into the castle shortly after, taking Darren's limp form, covered with black material, with them. They had looked furious, yelling at the headmaster, who had only smiled serenely in return and invited them into his office to talk.  
"What will they do with him?" Harry asked the room at large. No one seemed to have an answer for him.

Deep within the Forbidden Forest, an enormous black dog dashed through the trees after a cloaked figure. Sirius barked out his desperate pleas, unable to change back and simply speak for fear of losing Evra in the overgrowth of trees/forest. Up ahead, almost invisible within the shifting shadows, the snake boy ran. Tears streamed down his cheeks, catching on the scales of his face. Darren was gone, and he didn't know what to do.  
The only thing he could think to do was to tell Mr. Crepsley and hope that the vampire had some sort of solution. He didn't want Darren's body to disappear with the wizards, like he had never even existed. He couldn't bare the thought. The sun was still high in the sky when he burst into the abandoned building, eyes wild and dog at his heels, screaming the old vampire's name. There was no response.  
"Evra. Evra, please, calm down!" Sirius pleaded as he regained his human form, eyes darting wildly around the room, searching for some sort of help he instinctively knew would not be arriving anytime soon. He knew better than anyone the pain of losing loved ones, but he also knew that there was no point in the tears shed; Crying would not bring anyone back from the dead, after all. Heaving a deep sigh, Sirius did the only thing he could think to- he slapped the snake boy across the face. He winced, examining his hand, which was now riddled with scales embedded deep within his skin. He wiped the blood on his threadbare trousers, not too concerned. (He'd had far worse after all.) Turning his attention back to Evra, he was pleased to see that the boy was no longer completely hysterical. Instead, he was rubbing at his cheek, eyes wide and trained uncertainly on Sirius, who offered him a smile.  
"Better?"  
"Not really, no."  
"Well, you're not screaming anymore, which is what I was aiming for, so you're fine."  
Evra scoffed and didn't reply. From whatever dark corner she'd been hiding, his snake emerged to wrap herself lovingly around his person. A world weary sort of smile twitched on the corners of Sirius's lips, but his eyes were still sad.  
With a great, steadying breath he asked tentatively, "What do you want to do about your friend?" and watched as Evra seemed to deflate before his very eyes. The boy shook his head slowly, mumbling something to himself in a series of mixed hisses and words.  
Sirius waited, and finally Evra took a great, shuddering breath and said firmly, "I'm going to get him back."  
With a bitter grin, Sirius clapped a hand comfortingly over the younger's shoulder. "Then I'm going to help you."  
Together, they began to plan on how to do just that. Within the hour, they were ready.

"We should be getting back to the school." Remus Lupin announced, rising from his seat. Hagrid nodded, sniffling and rubbing at his eyes with an enormous, spotted handkercheif. One by one, the others rose to join him. With wet faces and red eyes, they headed towards the front door of the cabin. Outside the cabin, the wind blew, churning a few grey clouds across the sun, which was low in the sky. The world was beginning to turn dark. Harry couldn't help but think that it was appropriate. As they filed out the door, Hagrid called out. "Jus' a moment. I've got something for ya, Ron." The golden trio paused, waiting. With a glance towards the slowly darkening sky, Professor Lupin spoke softly, his words directed towards the three friends. "I trust you can see yourselves safely back to the castle?"  
Harry nodded absently in response, and Lupin smiled before turning to lead the other three students of Hogwarts back to the castle. Hermione turned to watch them go while Hagrid searched through the multitudes of jugs atop his shelves. Finally, with a cry of triumph, he found the correct one and pulled it down, dumping something into his enormous hand and coming over to the three. Despite the tear tracks that disappeared into his beard, he offered them a weak smile as he produced-  
"Scabbers!" Ron exclaimed in wonder, taking the squirming rat from Hagrid. "I though I'd lost you!"  
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, the anger and frustration that was evident in her eyes magnified by the stress and sorrows of the day, but was cut off by a loud, inhuman noise that echoed from the Forbidden Forest. They all froze, and Fang whimpered before answering with a low, mournful howl. Sighing quietly but seeming undisturbed by the noise, Hagrid said "You lot should be going."  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodded in response, following him to the front door. From Ron's hands, Scabbers was squeaking loudly, squirming. Ron just frowned and tightened his hold.  
"Do you need me ta walk you back to the castle?" Hagrid asked. Noting the handkerchief that was still held firmly in the half-giant's shaking hand, the trio declined as one. Hagrid offered them a shaky smile and waved to them from his door until they disappeared from his line of sight.  
As they passed by the clearing that held Darren's cage, Harry repressed a shudder at the unnerving sight of it standing open and empty. The tree stopped and stared for a moment. Hermione slipped her hand into first Ron's hand, then Harry's. Together, they took a moment to mourn the loss of their friend, just the three of them. The wind whipped through the trees, and the whomping willow shivered, shedding more of it's leaves.  
The moment was broken as Ron let out a quiet yelp and Scabbers dropped to the ground and scuttled away. "He bit me." Ron said, looking shocked. Blinking away his befuddled expression, he quickly gave chase.  
"Ron! Ron, wait!" Hermione called, going after him, Harry hot on her heels. She stopped suddenly, eyes wide as she realized where they were headed.  
"Oh...that's not good." Harry whispered.

Sirius froze where he was. His nose twitched, and his eyes grew wide. Evra glanced over to him, looking worried.  
"Are you alright?" he questioned in a whisper. They had been searching for signs of where the ministry might have gone, and where they could have taken Darren's body. Sirius shifted as the wind blew past them again, carrying with it a painfully familiar scent. Hackles raised and a growl ripping from his throat, Sirius lunged past Evra and ran, following the smell carried on the wind.  
"Sirius?" the snake boy called after him, looking bemused at his companion's sudden actions. He received no answer as the form of a large black dog disappeared into the trees, not sparing a him backwards glance.  
Dashing through the trees, breath coming fast and uneven, Sirius's mind was blank. He focused only on the revenge that had been twelve years in the making. He thought only of retribution for the things done to James and Lily and so many others. _"I'm coming for you, Peter."_

"The Grim!" Ron cried, eyes enormous and hands shaking as he pointed towards the dark omen. Harry and Hermione turned, then stumbled backwards a few steps at the sight of the snarling creature. Drawing his wand and doing his best to ignore the terror that was roiling in his belly, Harry prepared to defend himself. The dog stepped forward, dead leaves and grass crackling under it's monstrous paws. Drool dripped from it's jowls as it licked it's chops, showing sharp yellow teeth. Ron was whimpering, and Harry could hear Scabbers squealing with terror. Hermione had a death grip on Harry's shoulder, and he could feel her fingers shaking. Raising his wand as the creature crouched, preparing to jump at them, Harry could hardly catch his breath as his heart beat faster, feeling as though it may leap into his throat at any moment. The creature lunged-

and sailed right over his head. There was a split second of shocked relief (_it wasn't going after me. I won't die today!) _before a scream full of terror and pain sounded behind him.

"RON!" he lunged after his friend, hands outstretched towards the wailing boy. The Grim was far too quick, though. It had Ron by the leg and was dragging him across the frozen ground, straight towards the Whomping Willow!

Today was turning out to be a very bad day, indeed.


	27. Chapter 27

**Guess who's back~ **

**I want to send out a huge, special thanks to the amazing and talented Kanathia, who's been working with me to get the rest of this fic finished. The credit for this chapter goes to her! Go give her your love, guys. Enjoy!**

Harry and Hermione tried to fight their way past the whipping branches of the whomping willow to no avail. Any time they made progress and got close enough to the tree that they could see through the roots and into the hole Ron had disappeared into, they were smacked backwards by the thrashing plant.

Harry was beginning to think the whole thought of diving after Ron a bit mad and perhaps unachievable when, out of nowhere, a fluffy tail caught both his and Hermione's attention. Hermione let out a sob as Crookshanks moved into the striking range of the tree. However, the cat skipped up to the roots, expertly avoiding the deadly swings, and pressed his front paw against one of the many knots. Instantly, the tree froze. The cat slipped beneath the roots without waiting for the humans.

The two shared a look before bolting for the entrance; They weren't sure how long the tree would remain frozen and didn't want to try their luck at having to press the knot themselves.

The hole opened up into an earthen corridor. It was dark, barely bright enough to see their hands in front of them. Somewhere in the distance, they could hear Ron's yells. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. At least that meant his red haired friend was still alive. "Lumos." Hermione muttered beside him and he quickly whipped out his own wand and mimicked the spell.

They started warily down the hallway, wands drawn, moving cautiously but with haste. There was no telling if Ron would become dog chow if they lingered. Slowly, the earthen path turned into stone and even then it felt as if they walked on forever. Minutes passed and Harry was sure they had to have passed from Hogwart's borders. He shivered as they reached another hole. It led up and they could see just a bit more ambient light through it. It was the first wood they'd set eyes on since they'd moved away from the tree as well.

They climbed slowly, wincing each time a floorboard squeaked beneath their feet. The yelling was gone now replaced by an eerie silence.

"I think we're in the shrieking shack." Hermione whispered, her voice just barely louder than a breath.

She pointed down as they stood beside each other topside. Apparently she didn't feel it safe enough to continue talking. A thick layer of dust covered the floor, undisturbed for many years, and through the middle of the room, stretching into the hall, ran a clean streak like something heavy had been dragged through it. Harry nodded at Hermione, catching on to what she meant with her silent stares. The dog must have pulled Ron through the dust. If they followed it, they would find their friend.

They set off, following the marks and occasional paw print.

The trail ended at a door behind which they could hear quiet shuffling and a whimpering sound. Harry and Hermione shared another look. Harry held up his hand with three fingers extended. He put them down and then extended one again, then the second. On the third they burst into the room, wands extended, to be faced with a terrified Ron and little else. Ron laid next to a large bed clutching his leg and rocking slightly.

Hermione gave a little gasp and rushed forward.

"Ron?!" Harry exclaimed with a rush of relief.

"Are you okay?" Hermione demanded, eying his leg, which was resting at an odd angle.

"Where's the dog?" Harry asked, gazing about behind Ron.

Ron was pale and stuttering, and his eyes were locked at some point just above and behind Harry's head. He lifted a trembling finger. "I-it's not a dog. It's a trap!" Ron finally got out. "It's him!"

Harry whirled around to come face to face with none other than Sirius Black.

The man gave a crazed grin as he slammed the door shut behind the room's new occupants. Harry was left to scuttle backwards a bit in surprise.

"Expelliarmus!" Black cried and both Harry's and Hermione's wands flew from their grasp into Black's waiting hand.

Evra Von was completely lost. He was determined to help Darren by at least retrieving his corpse, but he couldn't honestly say if he was going in the right direction.

He'd been sort of counting on Sirius to help with the whole 'location' thing. After all, Hogwarts was a massive place and this was his first time wandering the grounds. It didn't help that the sun had set several minutes ago and the shadows cast by the trees he was surrounded by were throwing off his depth perception.

He wanted to throw caution to the wind and exit the canopy, but he knew provoking the wizards would only end with raising the body count. Or would they keep him alive to do studies on him? He shivered at the thought. Either way it wouldn't be a pleasant experience for him.

He stopped and untangled his cloak from a tree branch. He had to be almost there, right?

Things were getting a bit crazy in the room. Harry was trapped in the room with an escaped convict, two professors, his best friends, and a rat that the two conscious men in front of him were convinced was actually another human.

Oh, and Lupin was a werewolf.

The crazy factor was through the roof. At least he was armed now. He felt much better with his wand securely lodged in his hand. His eyes darted to Snape, who was laying unconscious on the bed. It was certainly the first time he'd ever seen Expelliarmus do that to someone.

"What are you going to do to him if I give him to you?" Ron asked anxiously, clutching the supposed 'Pettigrew' tightly to his chest.

"Force him to show himself." Lupin responded calmly. "If he really is a rat it won't hurt him."

Ron clutched the rat tighter for a moment before finally relinquishing him. Lupin gave him a reassuring smile. He took Scabbers back toward Sirius who was practically dancing with joy at having long last found his prey.

"Together?" Black asked.

"I think so." Lupin agreed. "On three. One, two, THREE!"

Together they both shot blue sparks from their wands. Scabbers hung in mid air for a second before his form began to twist and contort.

Everyone in the room watched in morbid fascination as the rat elongated and began to take on human form. Ron's face was practically laced with disgust and slight anger. Understandably so. He'd walked around with Scabbers, nee Peter clinging to him for years.

The man began to fidget almost immediately as the spell released him for its grasp. His large eyes turned from one person to the next pleadingly.

"R- Remus… S- Sirius…" he said focusing on his former friends. "My friends…"

"Some friends…" Harry muttered darkly.

Crepsley wandered about, loathe to admit that he was still unsure about what to do. Evra had stormed off with the wizard they'd found inhabiting the decrepit old house they'd also taken temporary residence in. But he hadn't said where they were going. He was sure the piece of paper he'd found near the front door was a note… probably. He hadn't had much luck figuring out its contents though.

So he'd wandered about, a bit concerned for the snake boy, hoping that Evra had gone looking through the village again.

After several hours though he had to admit, the chances that Evra was here in this small village and Crepsley had missed him during his multiple checks were slim. So he gave up for the moment. He would return to the house and hope Evra would be on his way shortly. He needed to plan a way to rescue Darren after all and that took time. Time that was significantly being eaten at by his fruitless search for Evra.

Larten approached the house on the narrow, winding road that led out of the village. This house was the only one built in this direction, and the villagers seemed keen on avoiding it so it had provided a nice resting point.

His nose twitched as he easily made it over the fence and into the overgrown yard. He rubbed it, ignoring the smell of human. The stairs creaked under his weight and he forced his way through the window next to the front door after checking that there was no one to spot him. The entrance hall was empty. He took a few steps in and suddenly the overload of human scents was confusing. He couldn't still be smelling people from town- he was too far out. He blinked at a sudden cascade of voices sounded upstairs and raised an eyebrow. For a split second hope rose in his chest. Maybe one of the people up there was Darren… but no. None of those scents belonged to his assistant.

Had the rightful owners of the house returned and found either Evra or the wizard 'Sirius'? No… that was improbable. The house had been too long abandoned for that. Perhaps children had wandered in as some sort of test of bravery? He made his way to the stairs curious about who was in his provisional abode. He hoped that whoever it was, they at least hadn't started a fight with the young snake boy. Or worse yet, found out he _was _a snake boy. They would probably try to ship him off to a laboratory out of curiosity.

He hastened his approach.

It wasn't hard to locate the group. Their voices were loud, obviously uncaring about being caught. They were in the last room at the end of the hall. Crepsley wasn't distracted enough to not notice the absence of dust. He raised an eyebrow at the gleaming streak of clean floor. Something had been dragged through here.

He was perhaps halfway down the hallway when he smelled the blood. Someone inside was injured, but not overly so. There'd been a fight then?

He approached more cautiously. Someone in the room may be hostile.

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Crepsley jerked back at the ferocity of the tone.

"You should have realized that if Voldemort didn't kill you then we would." A much calmer man said icily. "Goodbye, Peter."

A moment's pause sounded in which Crepsley collected himself.

A young boy's voice screaming _'No'_ had him entering the door faster than he would have cared to admit. He'd never really care for children in the past. Perhaps Darren was having some effect on him.

Everyone in the room seemed more than a little shocked at the new arrival, wide eyes turning to focus on him.

"What on Earth is going on in here?" he demanded, scanning the room's occupants.

Two men stood in front of him, one significantly more haggard looking than the other. Another man laid unconscious on the only bed in the room and that was where Larten could pinpoint the smell of blood coming from. Three children were there; two boys one girl. One with dark hair and glasses was standing defensively in front of a fourth man, who was kneeling (or rather, _cowering_) on the floor.

"Merlin's beard…" said one of the two men standing closer to him. "Larten Crepsley."

"I beg your pardon…" Crepsley replied a bit taken aback by the man's odd swear. "Do I know you?"

"Oh, er…" the man started as if suddenly realizing he'd spoken aloud. "I suppose you wouldn't recognize me… It's been a long time."

"Larten Crepsley?" the only girl in the room spoke leaning forward inquisitively. "The Mr. Crepsley that Darren talked about?"

Larten could see fear in her eyes and the slowly dawning comprehension on her two companion's faces.

"What has that foolish boy been saying about me this time?" Crepsley said with a huff.

The three children flinched at his tone, or perhaps something else entirely. They wouldn't meet his eyes now.

"I don't…" The most presentable of the men took a step forward catching Larten's attention. He was curious looking and didn't smell quite human. There was something familiar about the face too. "Why are you here?"

Crepsley regarded him for a long moment. "I have my reasons." He supplied vaguely. His eyes travelled to the man beside the speaker, the haggard looking 'Sirius'. "I do not suppose _you_ know where Evra has gone?"

Everyone in the room was sharing glances while Crepsley kept his gaze locked on the ragged man. Sirius shifted awkwardly as if just remembering something he shouldn't have forgotten. Crepsley's eyes narrowed.

"He er… might be on the grounds looking for…"

"Darren…" Crepsley finished for him with a bit of surprise. "How on Earth did he get past the barriers?"

"I might have shown him a secret passage…"

"Who in Merlin's name is Evra?" The brown haired man asked confused.

"I think we're getting a bit sidetracked." Sirius admonished, seeming to jolt from a daze. His gaze swung back to the man huddled on the floor. "First I finish what I came for, then we find the kid."

"No!" the kid said boldly shaking his head. "You can't kill him!"

"Kill him?" Crepsley repeated blinking back his shock.

"We'll take him to the castle. We'll give him to the dementors. He can go to Azkaban."

The shrunken man on the floor hurried to the boy's feet and began to grovel. "Thank you, oh thank you." He said clinging to the boy's clothes.

Crepsley sneered at the man. He found his actions distasteful. There was no honor in groveling.

"Get off!" the boy said kicking out and forcing the man to relinquish his hold. "I'm not doing it for you. I reckon my dad wouldn't want you two to be murderers… not for him…" The boy gestured to the sniveling lump on the floor.

Crepsley watched as the boy and the brown haired man talked. He examined the familiar face trying to place where he'd seen it and what that smell was. So familiar and yet so distant. Crepsley nearly flinched when cords shot from a stick in the man's hand. Wizards. He shook his head, but his eyes stayed locked to the man. Surveying.

It was when the man tilted his head up and the ambient light around them allowed Crepsley a better view of his face that Crepsley felt a spark of memory. The curve of the nose and the tilt of the chin were familiar but in a much older face. "Lupin." He said with what he was sure was an unnerving smile as the others stopped at the word and turned toward him almost apprehensively.

Yes, he remembered the man now. But he'd been naught but a child when they last met, stricken by a rare disease. Time certainly changed a lot, but that scent suddenly made sense. Lycanthropy. The man before him was a werewolf.


	28. Chapter 28

**Credit for this chapter goes, again, to the wonderful and talented Kanathia! Go give her some love. **

Crepsley had been in very odd situations throughout his very long life. The rag tag group he found himself part of at the moment wasn't the strangest one he'd ever encountered, but it certainly ranked high on his mental list. The raggedy man… Sirius, as he had been repeatedly asked to call him, had told him that he would show him to Evra once they'd escorted the short balding man to the castle. Crepsley hadn't wanted to trust the man, as he'd obviously already bailed on Evra, but he saw little else he could do. So he skirted the rear of the group and listened in on their 'private' conversations. If they could call them that. The only one of them who seemed to be talking low enough to warrant it being called anything but public was the bushy haired girl.

She was hissing into the red haired boy's ear and shooting looks back in both Crepsley's and Sirius' directions. He supposed Sirius was garnering attention simply for having pulled the third child off to the side of the group a bit as they walked. Crepsley could hear the two talking about the boy's parents. It wasn't a particularly thrilling conversation to listen in on, and he supposed it was hardly his business anyway, so he turned his attention to the other two children. The girl was helping the boy who had an injured leg, who in turn was tied to the pudgy man that smelt of fear. Their 'prisoner' of sorts.

"He doesn't seem bloodthirsty." He heard the young girl hiss to the boy who shot another furtive glance in Crepsley's direction.

"Don't let him fool you. I'm sure he's just waiting for the right time to strike." The boy replied even lower than the girl.

Crepsley couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face as he realized what their impromptu conversation was about. The boy was tied to a supposed mass murderer from what he'd gathered and still the two were more worried about Larten than the man. Human nature was such an odd thing.

The girl had mentioned Darren though. Perhaps she knew where the infernal wizards were keeping him. Though, from what he had ascertained the entire group was composed of wizards sans himself. Perhaps that should have been concerning, but at the moment he was too preoccupied with the thought that he was closer to rescuing his assistant than he'd been in months.  
He could see the relief on all of their faces as they made it into a large room filled with roots. To one side, Crepsley could see a hole through which the sky was visible barely visible through a heavy cover of clouds. Were they on the other side of those thrice damned wards now? They'd certainly walked far enough.

"I'll go first and keep the tree still for all of you." The werewolf, Lupin, offered.  
Crepsley shifted curiously to see as best he could through the hole. What sort of tree needed to be stilled for others?

He didn't have to wait long to find out.

The others hobbled and trudged their way out of the hole and Larten followed last, sure to be quick in case the offer hadn't extended to him. But Lupin still had his hand pressed firmly against a knot in the tree when he extricated himself from the roots. The werewolf offered him a bland smile before removing his hand and ushering the children and floating man away from the tree. They'd barely cleared ten meters when the tree seemed to resume movement. It shuddered and Crepsley watched it with intense interest for a moment before it seemed to decide to act like a tree again. It stilled entirely, save for the leaves that fluttered in a light breeze.

The group had settled for a moment to allow the red haired boy a rest, as his face was ashen from the exertion of getting this far.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to conjure a stretcher?" Lupin offered, frowning. The concern he felt for the child was obvious.

The boy shook his head with determination. He turned a heated glare on the bound man at Lupin's side.

"We should keep moving then. The sooner we get to Madam Pom…" Lupin stopped mid sentence, staring straight ahead eerily.

"The moon!" The girl cried in distress.

All eyes went to the sky to see the moon, which had cleared its cloud covering and shone bright and full. If possible, the red haired boy paled further.

Sirius rushed forward and grasped the man by the shoulders as he grabbed his own head and moaned in pain. "Remus! Did you take your potion tonight?!" Sirius cried out, voice high and strained.

The group was backing away except for the man tied to Lupin, who looked decidedly uncomfortable with his current position.  
Bones began to snap in the man's body. Lupin's magic had apparently been holding a lot of things together as all at once his ability to control the spells he'd cast snapped. The man who had been levitating crashed to the ground and began to stir, the binds holding the red haired boy's leg stabled began to unravel, much to his pained surprise, and the rope holding the murderer to Lupin snapped.

There was a moment of undecided action as everyone froze. Then the small glade became a flurry of movement. Lupin's transformation, nearing completion, had left the man being held back by Sirius.

Crepsley looked uncertainly from the werewolf to the children and back again. Sirius shifted into his dog form and tried to fight Lupin back. He succeeded for a few precious minutes, until Lupin got a good swing in and Black went flying. The sound as he crashed into the ground made Crepsley wince with sympathy.  
He watched as Lupin stalked forward, teeth bared. The dark haired boy was suddenly at his side, pelting the mindless werewolf with rocks in an effort to draw his attention away from Sirius. Unfortunately, that meant his attention was drawn back towards the children, the ones Sirius had been trying to protect in the first place.

Larten surveyed the situation quickly even as the menacing creature bared down on them all. At some point, the man they had been escorting had run off. The children were petrified and even if they weren't they had an injured one among them. In reality, they were basically powerless in such a situation against a creature of magic. The black haired man the others had levitated earlier was just barely coming to. He had an inner struggle. These people were wizards. They were the ones who had spirited Darren away in the first place… but they were also children.

He made his decision. Crepsley lunged forward hitting the werewolf and driving it off course. He paused only long enough in his attempts to divert the wolf to see the dark haired kid run off in the direction he'd seen Black fly earlier. Then he went back to ramming the werewolf before running slowly in an effort to lead the beast away from the downed children. He hoped he wouldn't cross paths with the one that had just run into the forest himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXxxx  
"You are lost."

Evra nearly bolted up a tree when the voice sounded behind him. He turned and found himself facing a semi familiar figure. He nodded to the half horse man. "I've been in a lot of forests, but this one's…"

"Different." Andiamus finished for him. "It's the magic in the air. It clouds the senses of lesser beings."

Evra wasn't sure if he should be offended or agree.

"The castle is to the East, but the stars say that your destination is not yet determined."

Evra stared back at the centaur in confusion. "What does that mean? Darren's at the castle, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Then that's where I'm going!"

"Perhaps."

Evra was growing frustrated. "Which way's East?" he asked in a huff, brow furrowed and arms crossed.

The centaur stared down at him impassively for a long moment, so long a moment Evra began to suspect he would not tell him. Then, just as the snake boy's patience was nearing its end, Andiamus lifted an arm and pointed to Evra's left.

Evra huffed and stalked away in that general direction, not bothering to thank the annoying centaur.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXxxx

Harry had panicked when Lupin had thrown his godfather through the air like he was nothing more than a rag doll. He'd hurried after the man once he was sure his friends weren't about to become werewolf chow. And what a surprise it had been that Mr. Crepsley had helped.  
He'd thought from Darren's irritated chattering about the man that he was cold hearted and ruthless, but apparently he was more than willing to put himself in danger for complete strangers. Either Darren was wrong about him or his muttering had been completely out of irritation.

Harry slipped to a stop on the stones beside Sirius, who was struggling to flip himself over.

"Sirius!" he cried, dragging the man's shoulders and helping in the process.

Sirius spluttered weakly and Harry quickly realized it had little to do with any injury Lupin might have dealt him. Around them dementors were moving in. Dozens of the demented creatures were convalescing on them. Their dense bodies began to block the moonlight.

Harry stood defensively in front of his godfather and raised his wand. He wouldn't let them take the family he'd only just found. He'd fight every one of the buggers off, wand or no wand. "Expecto Patronum!" he yelled fiercely, recollecting his first day at Hogwarts.

A bright stream of light burst from the tip of his wand and drove back the nearest of the creatures, but all too soon it flickered out and again they surged forward.

Panting heavily, Harry dug deep. "Expecto Patronum!" he cried out again, this time recalling his first meeting with Hagrid, but that spell died even more quickly than the first as the sheer number of the dementors pressed down on it.  
Harry could feel his consciousness slipping. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear the familiar screams that he now knew belonged to his mother. He blinked away the haze only to realize that at some point his knees had come into contact with the cold stone. "Expecto… patro…" His shoulders hit the stone.

He was vaguely aware of the fact that if something didn't happen soon, both he and his godfather would die.  
XXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Crepsley led Lupin as far away as he could without leaving the barriers that surrounded the school. He didn't want to have to backtrack all the way through the shrieking shack to get back on the grounds.

Once away from the humans the werewolf seemed much less temperamental. Lupin still pursued Crepsley but in much less of a rend him limb from limb way. It was almost like Crepsley was back with the wolves on a trip to Vampire Mountain.  
Still, he didn't much want to have to deal with a bite from the man, whether it was serious or in jest. As soon as he saw an opening he turned on the wolf. Using brute force Crepsley heaved a tree branch around and struck Lupin on the side of his head.  
The werewolf crashed into another tree with a pained cry that lasted only for another minute before he went still. Crepsley eyed the man with a frown. He'd been expecting more resistance, but apparently the man was already down for the count. Perhaps it had something to do with how sickly he'd looked before.

Crepsley dropped the tree branch and glanced around. Mission now accomplished he decided to head for the castle. That's where they'd been heading in the first place. Perhaps it was where he would find Darren. He'd never taken the chance to ask when he'd been part of the group.


End file.
